


Crossing Over

by AmeliaIsmills, shingo_the_pest



Category: NCIS, Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Alternate Universe - BDSM, Anal Sex, Bonding, Bottom Tony DiNozzo, Caning, Dom Jethro Gibbs, Dom/sub, Exhibitionism, M/M, Oral Sex, Rough Oral Sex, Slash, Soulmates, Spanking, Sub Tony DiNozzo, Unrequited Love, Whirlwind Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-02-24
Updated: 2011-02-24
Packaged: 2018-01-12 23:26:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 44,754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1204432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmeliaIsmills/pseuds/AmeliaIsmills, https://archiveofourown.org/users/shingo_the_pest/pseuds/shingo_the_pest
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony DiNozzo’s world is about to change, literally: he's been swept away to a new life in a completely different galaxy. What's more, he gains the affections of the charming (and dominating) marine Alex Dupree. But back on Earth, Gibbs raises hell as the NCIS team tries to find out where Tony has gone. And Gibbs will stop at nothing to get him back.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Notes

****

**Crossing Over: The Great NCIS and SGA Adventure**  
A collaboration by Amelia Ismills and Shingo the Pest

 

 **Warnings:** This piece of fiction is influenced heavily by the BDSM 24-7 Lifestyle. It is not meant to be a how to guide or a place to research about BDSM and it's related activities. This is a fantasy version.

Read the notes below to learn about our universe and original characters before reading, or skip to the next chapter to be surprised. This guide was a tool to help us while writing but we're adding it here as a jumping point for others to understanding the world. You may want to refer here later for some of the side characters.

Crossing Over was a long term crossover project between Shingo and myself. It focuses on Tony DiNozzo in the Pegasus Galaxy from SGA. An alternate version of the Pegasus Galaxy as you'll see.

The world was based on Xanthe's "BDSM UNIVERSE" idea and while we do not use the exact rules of her universe this, this is a derivative with similar characteristics.

We highly recommend her fiction in general, not just those set in the BDSM universe. Her website is [xanthe.org](http://xanthe.org/). The stories in her BDSM universe are:

  * General & Dr Sheppard
  * Coming Home
  * Hiding in Plain Sight
  * The First Collar



Minor note, we apologize for the "Chapter by" notes. Shingo posted the story to AO3, but the actually writing was much more integrated than chapter by chapter. We went over the chapters so often that it's hard to tell who initially wrote what scene, and who added edits later. All the banners and photo manips were made by the talented Amelia Ismills.

 

**Differences Between Canon and Fanon**   
_How our Atlantis became the way it is at the time of the story._

The largest difference is the culture is centered on a BDSM dynamic. People either consider themselves a Dominant, a submissive, or occasionally a switch. Some even consider themselves monosexual. The term monosexual was adopted from Xanthe's original universe although it is never actually used in Crossing Over. Monosexuals care about their dynamic matching and not the sex of their partner. In fact, the concept of heterosexuality, homosexuality, and bisexuality does not even exist to monosexuals.

When the expedition arrived on Atlantis, stranded like in canon, the city lit up and everything happened just like in the original canon. The first difference happened when Sheppard and Rodney touched for the first time in Atlantis.

In the Crossing Over world there is a bond between a Dominant and submissive that is for all practical purposes soul mates. Resembling Xanthe’s “lifemate” principle slightly, but on Atlantis bonding is automatic and not a choice between two individuals.

The running theory on why this process was built is the Ancients, with their advanced technology, created a system that recognized this “soul bond” among their people and created a way for Atlantis to mentally link the Dom and sub. It is uncontrollable and irreversible. McKay and Sheppard are the first couple to be linked.

Scientists are unaware of whether the Ancients brought their way of BDSM based society with them to Atlantis or if it was the inhabitants of the Pegasus Galaxy that gave BSDM to the Ancients. It is known that the Ancients and almost every inhabited world in Pegasus lived their lives this way and passed it down to evolve into the leading lifestyle in the galaxy. If the Ancients did bring the lifestyle with them, then why was the lifestyle not prevalent in our own galaxy? Thus most anthropologists theorize the Ancients came upon the culture in Pegasus and adopted it themselves.

When the Stargate Atlantis expedition was stranded in the Pegasus Galaxy they eventually went native after their interaction with the Athosians with the idea that there was the possibility of never making it home. Their culture became so intertwined that when they did make contact with Earth, the BDSM lifestyle continued to spread and many members of the Stargate program, most who visited or were stationed on Atlantis, converted as well.

General O’Neill and Daniel Jackson also became bonded partners which certainly helped the meshing of the societies as an accepted choice as O’Neill was secure and well liked in his position over the SGC.

When our story starts the Wraith has long been subdued and the Atlantis expedition has become more than just an exploratory expedition. It is no longer only a military and scientific expedition. It has become a permanent hub representation Earth in the galaxy. There are other bases of operation on previously unoccupied planets that are Earth operated. Atlantis is now considered a scientific study hub, trading outpost, and military base.

The laws of Atlantis and other earth based centers in Pegasus are different than that of earth. The laws have been created around the culture of the people in that galaxy.

 

**Terms, Places, and Definitions**

  * **Earth Citizenship:** This is a relatively new option for the born inhabitants of Pegasus. It gives them the opportunity to becomes a citizen of the Earth presence in Pegasus and gain the rights and protection it can give them. Although most will never step through the gate to Earth or the Milk Way it cements bonds and treaties.
  * **Bonded:** Pairs that have been mentally connected by the ancient technology on Atlantis when the sentient program recognizes two compatible souls. This is a rare occurrence.
  * **Treboisor:** Treboisor is one of the planets that have a democratic government and a thriving chain of planets with which they use to obtain items for trade thus sustaining a booming trade market.
  * **Corsica:** On Treboisor and located about three miles east of the gate. With the proximity it is the major trading hub for many of the people in Pegasus. This is where Tony’s first collar is bought.



 

**Side Characters**

  * **Major Alex Dupree** – The marine Tony meets when he first comes to Atlantis. Portrayed by Dwayne Johnson
  * **Corporal Jonathon "Jon" Sharpe** – Part of Tony’s team. Portrayed by Matt Damon
  * **Sergeant Conner Jacobs** – Part of Tony’s team. Portrayed by Josh Hartnett
  * **Sergeant Dylan Martinez** – Part of Tony’s team. Portrayed by Vin Diesel
  * **Dr. Keith Holloway** – Lead Scientist on PX-491.
  * **Master Sergeant Dunn** – Lead Military Officer on PX-491.
  * **Sergeant Davis** – One of the marines on PX-491. Survivor of the barbarian attacks.
  * **Dr. Elaine Winters** – One of the scientists on PX-491. Portrayed by Tea Leoni
  * **Master Sergeant Nicholas Saronti** – Survivor of the barbarian attacks. Portrayed by Tom Hardy
  * **Princess Melantha** \- Ruler of the Sulish people. Portrayed by Jessica Stein



 

Big thank you to our betas **Kazel** and **MHSpyder**!

 **Disclaimer:** We do not own NCIS or Stargate.

Credit for information on star travel goes to [here](http://www.universetoday.com/15403/how-long-would-it-take-to-travel-to-the-nearest-star/) and [here](http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread191878/pg1).


	2. Part 1

The soldier grimaced as a cold cloth washed away the feverish sweat from his body. He was so tired and confused.

“Shush warrior, rest now. You’re safe,” a light voice tickled his ears. He turned towards it.

“What happened?” He croaked. The girl beside him sighed miserably.

“Your team of soldiers was attacked and you, brave one, sent them ahead to the gate to escape.”

The soldier cried out as he remembered. They’d been attacked on the way back to the gate and he’d sent his men ahead while he tried to lure the attackers away.

“Did they make it?” he managed to rasp out.

Silence met his question for a moment, and his heart stopped.

The girl hesitantly answered. “They made it to the gate, but when they dialed it and entered something into this little box they had,” she stopped again as if trying to come up with a word.

“Our transmitter for an identification code,” he forced out.

“Oh, I had wondered. They were rejected. I do not know why, but the barbarians caught up to them and…I am so sorry. They were slaughtered,” the girl was so remorseful, but he could not believe it. Atlantis would never abandon their own.

“NO! My people wouldn’t do that,” he groaned in despair.

”Just rest, please rest,” the girl stroked his hair in comfort.

“They wouldn’t have done that. They wouldn’t have,” he muttered. He looked towards her, imploringly. All he could see was a gentle halo of light where she leaned over him. “Why would they do that?” He beseeched.

“I don’t know. Hush, dear one. You are safe here. We will heal you. Sleep.”

The soldier felt himself grow warm and then he knew nothing. His unconscious state did not allow him to see or hear another person slip into the room.

“Will it work?” The new man’s voice was slick and snake-like.

“It will Slovak, my trusted advisor. He is beginning to doubt his people.” She ran her hand over the soldier’s closed eyes lovingly. “He is heart broken. A protector who has lost his flock of sheep. I will cultivate his trust, and play to his needs. When he wakens he will no longer have any love for his people. The usurpers of our ancient city will fall and Atlantis will be rightfully ours,” the angel answered, her sweet tone belying her ugly words.

\---

Elizabeth sat behind her desk and stared at her military commander with a little bit of understanding and a whole lot of annoyance.

"John, we need an overseer for this kind of thing and it needs to be someone impartial. This entire operation has gotten too large for you to be running around trying to figure out who stole what and who killed who when it’s not a threat to the entire population."

John shrugged nonchalantly, "My men can look into it."

She sighed and looked down to her desk in aggravation to keep from throttling John into seeing sense, "Yes, your men can, but they're not police. John, see sense here, you were looking for a panty thief last month like this was sorority row. Your men are not even investigators. They are trained soldiers that have been conditioned to protect large groups of people and themselves, not **catch crooks** ," she urged on when she saw the stubborn tilt of John’s jaw.

"Sure we are, Elizabeth, we've investigated a lot of incidents and you can't just pull in the police! This is a _military_ operation," John argued.

Elizabeth tapped her finger against her desk thoughtfully, "No, John, this is a military base, a scientific expedition, and a trading outpost. It is all three together, but I do see your point. Maybe I can pull in a military investigator."

Sheppard paused, considering her words for a moment, "Maybe...probably not."

"Yes, maybe. John, I know you’re Air Force, but a vast majority of our boys and girls are marines. That’s what NCIS is for and this _is_ a ship all things considered," Elizabeth pushed and tried not to grin when she saw the tell-tale signs of John’s disagreement lessen.

"But there are so few people who would understand Atlantis, and how it is here...," John trailed off when he finally noticed that Elizabeth had her take no prisoners face on.

"Then we'll just have to look for someone who would be open to the lifestyle out here, John. It's kinky on Earth too; you don't think there's at least one military agent who could blend in out here? Seems to me that there are a lot of us from Earth who were able to adapt," Elizabeth wryly added.

John twisted his mouth, not enthusiastic at all, but not having the energy or inclination to push the issue after the week they’d all just had, "Alright, Elizabeth, but you do the paperwork. I don't want to spend hours sitting at my desk sifting through random civilian files labeling them 'kinky', 'not kinky', 'kinky', 'not kinky'."

Elizabeth finally let a full grin split across her face at her victory. John had given in. It didn’t matter that he hadn’t really cared whether he won or lost simply because he was so worn down. She nodded back when he tilted his head and turned to leave. Elizabeth couldn’t help it though; she had to have the last word.

"I don't think _kinky_ is an official category," she called after him.

"Your file would be labeled that way," he cheekily called back.

Elizabeth snorted and admitted to herself that at least her military commander had a good sense of humor if he wasn't always respectful. Then again, in terms of respect, they had been through a lot more than most expeditions ever would or could and the entire Atlantis personal, civilian and military were knitted tightly together as more than just coworkers. They had come to the Pegasus galaxy in search of technology and found a whole other way of living. In return they had created a completely different culture to live by and Earth itself had no choice in the end but decree it official.

\---

Elizabeth groaned as she felt another headache coming on, but it finally seemed like she might have found the right person.

She had gone through nearly a hundred profiles from every armed forces agency that she had at her disposal: Army, Air Force, Navy, and even the Coast Guard. She persevered and kept looking for an agent who just might be a match for them. Atlantis needed an investigator with experience, someone like a cop, someone who would be completely open to the power dynamics in Atlantis, and someone who could work with both military, Atlantean Earth civilians, and the alien population who had applied for the new and officially termed _Earth Citizenship_.

There were more and more refugees that wished to become a part of their society and planet. Considering they had basically taken over one of the galaxy’s planets as their own, claimed an ancient city, and set up shop, many politicians felt it was a prudent idea to make it official. Not that many of their new alien citizens would ever go to Earth, but at least they had some basic rights that came with the association.

She had looked through current and retired agents and there was only one that caught her eye: Anthony DiNozzo. He had excellent qualifications, with years of experience, both in naval criminal investigations and law enforcement. He was in the perfect spot between veteran and youth. He was old enough to handle responsibility and life in a foreign galaxy, but also young enough to adapt and adhere to orders.

 _To be guided, leashed, and ordered about..._ Elizabeth pulled her head out of the gutter and reminded herself that the man was coming to be Atlantis’s Agent Afloat, not her collared submissive. She looked back down at his picture and was drawn again to his face. Sure, he looked cocky, but playful...there was just something that pulled at the toppy instinct inside of her. The way an attractive sub always did.

It was just a hunch. She didn't know for sure, but Elizabeth believed he would be an excellent agent for Atlantis, _if_ he was compatible with their way of life. If so, then it would definitely be worth a trial run.

\---

When she met with General O’Neill, the man sat in his chair with his collared sub kneeling beside him on a pillow, reading what looking to be a book older than Jesus. Elizabeth was determined to keep her cool and convince the General that Atlantis wanted…no… _needed_ Anthony DiNozzo.

Elizabeth hadn’t been sure what to expect when their intelligence came back with the complete, very thick dossier on the NCIS agent, but even Commander Sheppard had been pleased with what they had found out. There had been some old, but extremely graphic, photos found on a college friend's computer showing Anthony DiNozzo in a leather club, bound and blindfolded, come all over his face. Those pictures had caused General O’Neill’s eyebrows to practically shoot off of his face. He had immediately ordered an attending airman outside his office to fetch Colonel Samantha Carter. He sent instructions for her to make the photos disappear for good. Elizabeth took that as a positive sign.

Intelligence also came up with rumors about DiNozzo having a youthful affair in junior high, with another boy who became a prominent Dom in the New York leather scene many years later. Apparently the two still kept in touch surreptitiously through email.

There was no current evidence, no current photos, no current rumors, but DiNozzo was able to successfully disappear with a cold trail every third Friday. He might be going to a poker game, meeting a girl, or going to a BDSM scene, it was impossible to tell. It was his ability to disappear that well was impressive.

What had really sealed the deal for both John and Elizabeth was the evidence of DiNozzo with his boss. DiNozzo's performance at work was excellent, but it was his eagerness to please, his antics for attention and acceptance of punishment that made things blatantly clear for both of them. He was an eager, diligent sub and a perfectly qualified Agent Afloat. He was also a sub in desperate need of a Dom that could fulfill his needs. Atlantis could be a place to receive what he so obviously needed. Now, they just had to hope that General O’Neill saw the same thing John and Elizabeth already did.

O’Neill returned her stare with an equal amount of determination and conviction. Elizabeth hoped it was with the same goals in mind as her own.

“If you want this boy then you can have him _if_ he’s amenable. The way it looks to me, _he_ needs Atlantis as much as you need him,” O’Neill stated.

She handed the formal request, with her signature already on it, to O’Neill and said, “We want him.”

“Then go home, Dr. Weir, and I’ll get him for you,” O’Neill remarked dryly, as he laid the request on top of the intelligence report on his desk.

Jack chuckled as the pretty Head of Atlantis smiled smugly and headed back towards the gate room. He’d let her think she had won a political maneuver, but the idea of an agent afloat had been passed around Washington for ages now and Elizabeth had found the perfect candidate. He wasn’t going to complain when someone else handled the research. He gave a wistful look to the picture of the first SG-1 team. He missed fieldwork.

He looked down at Daniel on the floor and found his lover staring back at him.

“Washington D.C.?” Daniel asked.

“Looks like it, Danny boy,” Jack grinned before hauling Daniel up for a bruising kiss.

\---

The slash of the whip swished through the air with an all too familiar sound and when Tony felt the lash fall across the back he didn’t have to bite back any sort of sound. Nothing came out even when the lashes picked up and he found himself nearly soaring down into the safe spot where nothing could touch him deep inside his mind. He desperately wanted to completely let go, but too many things held him back.

Like the fact that he was holding onto the looped rope above his head instead of being tied because Tony would never allow any random Dom tie him up.

Then there was the fact that the man behind him only held a semblance of the dominant energy he looked for in a partner.

Finally, there was the fact that the man wasn’t the man he’d been dreaming about and desiring for seven years.

The man wasn’t Gibbs and no man ever would be.

Maybe that wouldn’t matter. Maybe he could forget Leroy Jethro Gibbs ever existed and start somewhere new, someplace where he could sink into the hidden parts of his mind without worrying about being found out, the chance of rumors circulating, or secrets from the past turning up again. Maybe he could find someone new who would care about him and have the ability to truly dominate him with just a presence that would shake him to the bones.

For the first time in a long time, Tony thought, maybe it was time to move on.

\---

As if the thought had summoned change, Tony found himself someplace new within the week. The night sky was brilliant as he looked out of the Sempera’s viewing deck, wondering if he had made the right decision. He touched the window and was unusually quiet. He was still in complete shock over the amount of classified information he’d been briefed with only two days before. It still seemed as if he was in a massive dream, but the spaceship gliding through the darkened expanse of open space abused him completely of that notion.

It already seemed as if it had been ages, but his awe was just as rampant as it had been when General Jack O’Neill had walked into the bullpen.

_The man’s swagger and confidence had immediately caught Tony’s attention and when the man shouted out a terse, “Follow me, Special Agent Antonio DiNozzo,” Tony’s jaw had dropped._

_Tony had been alone at his desk and taken off guard by the fact that the man had used the name actually on his birth certificate. He’d begun using Anthony when he’d been in boarding school and not even his coworkers knew that his name should have been the Italian spelling because all of his credentials used the name Anthony._

_It was only when the man had reached the top steps that Tony had jumped up and ran after him. As soon as Tony had reached him the man had begun talking._

_“I’m surprised that your boss and colleagues aren’t here. I was told that I would be fighting a stubborn bastard to get your help,” the General (for that was what he was, all those strips!) had casually remarked._

_Tony ducked his head and pushed off the wave of hurt that rushed through him. He steeled himself and smiled politely if not kindly, “They’re out working on a case. I was told to track down leads here.”_

_The General had stopped just before they reached the Director’s office. He had quirked an eyebrow and Tony blushed as he realized the man was trying to get a read on him. The blatant perusal made Tony nervous and excited at the same time._

_“I thought you were his second-in-command.”_

_Tony had grimaced, and looked away, seeing the wall rather than the disappointed General’s face, “I made a wrong connection when something felt off. Gibbs doesn’t reward failures.”_

_When the man’s hand had come to rest on his shoulder, Tony froze completely and his eyes shot back to the man in front of him. The General had looked directly at him._

_“I assure you, son, I wouldn’t be here if you were any type of failure. Now, let’s get in there and talk to this Director Vance of yours. We’re on a tight schedule,” the General gave Tony a lopsided grin and Tony felt his heart thump slightly at the boyish look. It had reminded him of when Gibbs was slyly amused._

_Gibbs hadn’t seemed amused by any of Tony’s antics in a long time._

_Tony had been bustled through the door. Director Vance was sitting at the conference table with someone who had to be a lawyer, and a large stack of papers._

_“Hello Tony, have a seat. I see you’ve met General O’Neill already,” Vance said in what Tony considered the most congenial tone he’d ever heard the man use when talking to him._

_“Uh, yes sir, he told me to come up here with him,” Tony had answered unsurely, and just a bit suspicious._

_He started when General O’Neill snorted. "He might have been a little shocked at first, but the boy was quick to follow orders just like you said he would be, Leon,” General O’Neill laughed. Tony found himself flushing again, but he straightened his shoulders and stood tall as he tried to hold on to some amount of dignity. Still, Tony couldn’t help the small spread of warmth that had swum in his stomach at the offhanded compliment._

_He sunk into the seat opposite the lawyer and had stared warily at everyone around him. Vance and O’Neill each took a chair on opposite ends of the table and Tony had felt a bit boxed in._

_“I know you’re probably wondering what is going on, Tony, but I assure you this will be worth your time today and it is a honor to be brought into this. If you accept this assignment then you will basically be making history,” Vance then had nodded to the lawyer as Tony’s curiosity sparked._

_A piece of paper was slid in front of Tony to read, marked “CONFIDENTIAL” in red ink. He looked up in surprise and raised an eyebrow in question to his director. His level of security clearance was already high for normal NCIS duties, and when it wasn’t high enough, Gibbs would be the one to push his way through. Vance just chewed on his toothpick and tilted his head towards the General._

_Tony immediately complied with Vance’s indication and found his eyes looking to O’Neill and when O’Neill gave him an encouraging smile Tony blushed again, and looked down, which had only had made the General’s smile turn indulgent. Tony had cursed himself and breathed a calming breath. The General just radiated toppy attitude and Tony wanted to do anything to please him. It was very much like how Gibbs made him feel any time he gave a direct order._

_For years, Tony had been in control of his own submissive leanings inside the workplace. He was barely holding control over himself now though. He warily met the General’s eyes again and O’Neill nodded again to the file._

_Tony realized he was acting like a stupid kid. Hesitating. Looking for reassurance. This was like his worst and best moment in junior high. Stop hesitating and just suck the damn dick. Just read the damn folder. This may be everything you've been hoping for. It was only when General O’Neill stated, “Read it all Tony, every last page,” that Tony forced himself to concentrate and started to read each page._

_It was a new position. A transfer._

_"What? Where?" Tony asked Vance._

_The Director smiled. "To the Air Forces' biggest secret."_

_Vance was happy. Tony wasn't sure if that was good or bad for him. "Where's the Air Force's biggest secret? Area 51?"_

_O'Neill laughed this time, and shared a knowing look with the Director. "Just read the paperwork Tony."_

_It wasn’t a difficult agreement and he signed every page as he read it, but when he reached a waiver page he looked back up at the lawyer. The man made some fancy explanation about Tony not being able to publish anything he discovered. Tony found himself getting more and more confused, but with another look at General O’Neill, and a confident nod given to Tony, he finally signed the last page and pushed the papers over to General O’Neill._

_O’Neill gave him a grin and added his own signature below Tony’s and passed the papers on. The lawyer neatly gathered them up, secured them in his briefcase and immediately locked it._

_“Now will somebody please say **where** I'm going?” Tony couldn’t hold back any longer._

_Vance grinned at him from around his toothpick._

_“Have fun Agent DiNozzo and do the agency proud,” was all Tony had heard from Vance before O’Neill had grasped Tony’s shoulder._

_“Close your eyes, Agent DiNozzo,” the General had ordered and Tony instinctively complied immediately. Tony heard a beep of some sort and then O’Neill saying that they were ready._

_“Now open,” O’Neill ordered only seconds later._

_Tony opened his eyes and thought it strange that everything was darker and then he realized he was no longer standing in the director’s office. Tony had started to freak out as he glanced around and took in the fairly empty gray room._

_“What the hell?” he had yelled and glared when O’Neill laughed. He opened his mouth to demand more answers, but before he could say a word O’Neill had walked right up to him and put both hands on his shoulders. Then Tony was spun around. Through a huge, expansive observation window, he saw the Earth shining like a bright beacon._

_“That…Oh…What...” Tony managed to get an entire phrase out even if it wasn’t the one he was aiming for._

_General O’Neill laughed and Tony felt his hands tighten on his shoulders. The General’s voice was right in his ear._

_“Yes, Tony, that is Earth and yes, we are in space orbiting the planet at the moment. Welcome to the Sempera.”_

_Tony just gaped and had no idea what to say. It was only when General O’Neill swung him around and stared him directly in the eyes again that the million questions bubbled over._

_“Space? We’re in space above Earth? What’s going on? Why am I here? Why didn’t you get Gibbs?”_

_O’Neill placed a finger over his mouth and Tony quieted immediately. He went completely still and silent and watched expectantly as O’Neill waited patiently for him to completely focus._

_“Like I said, this ship is the Sempera and it is in orbit around Earth at the moment. In about twenty minutes, however, she will begin her journey to an intergalactic Stargate system,” General O’Neill explained and finally removed his finger from Tony’s lips. "I'll give you the full history."_

_Tony had listened intently for what felt like minutes, but was in truth hours._

_By the end Tony’s head was reeling from the information as O’Neill had told him all about the Stargate, the program, the Ancients, the Goa’uld, the Wraith, and practically anything else that could be explained to him in such a short amount of time._

_“But what am I doing here, General O’Neill? I mean, why in the world would you come get a Phys. Ed major turned navy cop to help with whatever it is you need?” Tony finally asked anxiously._

_General O’Neill sighed and Tony immediately homed in on how tired the man seemed, “Tony, when we first started going through the Stargate we learned that most of the planets were populated by people taken from Earth by the Goa’uld. For a long time we thought that was where all humans on populated planets were from. Then we came to Atlantis and met new people. They have the same physiological make up, but whereas our societies in the Milky Way have always been similar in a lot of ways to other inhabitants, the Pegasus Galaxy has a completely different way of living and it makes up the majority of the places we’ve visited so far. It also seems that the Ancients lived in this way as well, which was a surprise and big adjustment for the majority of us. We think you'll...adjust more quickly than most.”_

_Tony was more confused, but nodded his head to show that he was listening._

_“We need you because there’s been several situations that could have been cleared up a lot faster if we’d had an agent on Atlantis to catch the criminal, but at first our people couldn’t contact home, and then there were confidentiality issues when this was mainly a war zone. Eventually pretty much everyone began to go native to an extent. There have been many new concessions and new policies to give way to the new lifestyle, instead of trying to stop it. Honestly, I don’t think it could have been stopped. So we started to look for an agent that could be our permanent agent afloat, per say, who would be completely comfortable with the lifestyle that is part of their everyday life,” General O’Neill stopped again and Tony had the idea that he was being scrutinized to see if he had caught on yet._

_Tony took a step back, chewing on his cheek. Assessing the information in front of him, Tony laid out what he knew so far. “You're telling me the Pegasus lifestyle and society is well established, probably starting from the Ancients, therefore after a millennia or so it is completely different than our social norms. You are afraid that when you send someone as agent afloat that prejudices and moralistic problems would arise. And you chose me so it would have to be something about my lifestyle that makes you think I would be amenable to their ways…” Tony froze._

_There were only two things that he could be condemned for by many Earth standards. His bisexuality and his interest and need for BDSM were the only things the General could be talking about._

_O’Neill smiled when he realized Tony had made the connection, “Everyone identifies as a dom, sub, or switch there and they have no taboo against bisexuality. They hardly understand the concept of bisexuality actually. They believe that it matters more if your dynamics and kinks match…if you are mentally compatible with your partner.”_

_Tony swayed a little in the chair, overwhelmed, “You spied on me? Did you spy on everyone you considered? So, basically, you’ve been peeking into the personal lives of NCIS agents to find out if anyone fit the kinky profile? Isn’t that a little extreme?”_

_O’Neill laughed, “Honestly Tony, I think you ended up with most of the scrutiny." Tony's stomach dropped further._

_O'Neill didn't apologize either. Most generals didn't. "Atlantis became a military ship like any other when we took control, the only difference is it can fly as well as float and is on another planet. We’ve been in Pegasus about five years now and it’s become a permanent establishment of intergalactic trading and a civilian run research facility. It’s strange that we haven’t had an agent afloat yet, but that’s changing now. You've been an agent afloat before. We’ll be there at about fourteen hundred hours. Your standing orders as of this moment are to wait here and someone will come to escort you off the Sempera. Then you will be informed of your duties.”_

Tony startled a bit when the door slid open drawing his attention away from the observation window and to a marine who was gazing intently at him.

“Agent DiNozzo?” the man asked immediately.

“Last time I checked,” Tony cheekily replied. The marine laughed and Tony almost did a double take when the man’s eyes turned appreciative as they swept over his body. Tony blushed brightly and the marine chuckled again.

“A sub? That’s good. Atlantis has been rather top heavy lately. I’m Alex Dupree, by the way, I’m here to escort you through the gate and help you get assimilated on Atlantis. I’ve only been assigned on the Sempera for the last couple months. This is my return trip back out there for permanent stationing,” Alex informed Tony as he beckoned Tony to follow.

Tony’s mind was set to explode at the easy way the man had just zeroed in on how he was a sub and then the easy acceptance of him also being a man. Alex seemed to pick up on Tony’s bewilderment.

“I take it General O’Neill didn’t make it as clear as he could about how integrated we’ve become with the Pegasus galaxy? Tony, you won’t find any persecution for your decisions. The lifestyle is a part of life out there and almost everyone that is permanently assigned out there has fallen into it,” his military stance relaxed a bit and he gave Tony just a hint of a lopsided smile.

“Although, don’t be surprised if you have a large amount of Dom’s vying for your attention; you are a beautiful sub and I’m sure you look even better naked and spread out over a bed,” Alex’s voice had dropped a level. Tony swallowed and pulled a quick reign on his smaller brain.

“Um, thank you, sir,” he mumbled as he felt his cheeks heat up again. The solid flirting of the marine in front of him had him stammering and blushing like a teenage virgin. Part of him felt irritated that his normal mask wouldn’t slide solidly in place, but another part of him was daring to hope that maybe the mask wasn’t going to be necessary for the first time in his life.

Alex chuckled, “I think I see why General O’Neill hopped back planet-side so quickly. You would tempt a saint and Dr. Jackson is known for his possessive ways when it comes to his Dom.”

“General O’Neill isn’t single?” Tony couldn’t help but ask.

Alex laughed, “It’s a tree I would be very cautious to bark up. There’s someone up there already. And Dr. Jackson is quit adept at chasing away competition. He taught the last sub that tried to push him out how to ascend. Poor girl didn’t know what was going on until she floated off into a higher level of existence.”

Together they walked out and reached what looked like the bridge. Alex introduced him to the captain, Jacob Tanner, and then Tony found them transported to a planet before he could say anything besides nice to meet you.

“This is Eudorica and it’s one of our way-stations that can connect to Atlantis. We’ll be dialing the Gate in about ten minutes for our scheduled arrival,” Alex explained and offered a hand to help Tony off the rocky area. Tony raised an eyebrow at the offer, but congenially took Alex’s hand and jumped down.

Alex grinned unapologetically at Tony, “You’ll get used to it. You know how we’re taught to treat females on Earth? Well, strike the female and put in submissive and that’s how the Pegasus galaxy works.”

Tony made a face, “So you’re telling me that basically I’m going to be treated like I’m a girl.”

Alex laughed out right, but Tony was suddenly very aware of the other man as he stepped into his space.

“Oh no, Tony, I assure you that people will treat you like a male, albeit a very handsome man and beautiful submissive” Alex remarked seriously. Then Alex hushed and looked very intently at Tony’s face. Tony realized that Alex was even taller than he was.

“You’re going to be pursued, however, very heavily. That I can guarantee. Your bed won’t be cold unless you want it to be,” Alex informed him just as seriously.

Tony’s mouth began to water and he couldn’t help what slipped out next, “Will you be one of those Dom’s looking to warm my bed?”

Alex shook his head negatively and Tony couldn’t help the small thread of disappointment that ran through him. Maybe it showed on his face, because Alex looked left and right, making sure no one was around to watch them. Then Alex wrapped a hand firmly around the back of Tony’s neck.

He leaned in and whispered hotly in Tony’s ear, “I like seeing _my_ sub in _my_ bed and warming _my_ sheets. I promise you that if you want to be in it, then I’ll happily put you there.”

Tony shivered at the dark promise in the young Dom’s voice, ready to slip to his knees and serve the marine right there on the new planet they were currently on, but he was jolted out of the mindset when Alex’s side pocket started beeping. The man sighed and the moment was over. Tony fully expected them to leave, but was surprised when he found himself pulled forward and Alex’s lips pressed against his in a quick, but owning kiss.

Alex walked away for only a second to press some buttons on a large table with an interface.

Alex grinned unabashedly at him when he returned and took in Tony’s mussed up appearance, “That’s better. Swollen lips and hair mussed up will make sure no other tops make a play at you before I have you spread out and tied to my bed posts.”

Tony couldn’t help but grin back. Alex pulled him forward towards a shimmering circle of something that looked like water, but he now knew to be an intergalactic wormhole. He couldn’t help but wish Tim was there to help him understand better what the hell was going on.

He pushed the traitorous feelings away immediately though. Thinking of the team was making him feel guilty about the way he left, but if Gibbs could abandon them for Mexico and then come back and act as if he’d never been gone then Tony could take a well deserved promotion. It wasn’t as if he was needed there anymore and maybe he could find someone who would want him for what he was worth where he was going. Tony was tired of feeling useless.

Then Alex was holding his hand and walking him through the gate. Tony felt a whoosh and pull and before he could even fully think another thought they were standing in a big room that looked straight out of Star Trek minus the strange uniforms, although the Stargate crew had their own unique BDUs. He just hoped they didn’t have some strange Spock hand greeting. As hard as he’d tried as a kid for countless hours Tony just couldn’t get his fingers to part like that.

Tony couldn’t keep himself from looking around in wonder even though he knew that he had to look like a gaping fish just standing there. It was only when Alex tightened his grip around Tony’s wrist and motioned him forward that Tony’s mind caught up to his body.

“Sir,” Alex greeted a handsome man with a sharp salute that Tony was happy to see was the normal military one. Tony knew immediately that this must be Colonel Sheppard that he had been briefed on. He was every inch the persona of a hardcore Dom with the way he stood and seemed to take stock of everything going on while searing straight into Tony’s soul to figure out who he was.

Sheppard nodded to Alex and ordered him off to the med lab for a physical. Tony wondered if there were adverse effects to using the Stargate and started for the first time to question his sanity in even agreeing to come out here.

Sheppard seemed to pick up on his discomfort and Tony watched in amazement as the tough military man in front of him transformed into something more casual.

“It’s SOP for anyone who goes off base. We don’t want to take any chances that we get a worm infested soldier instead of one who is in control of himself. There are also a million different diseases or bugs that could get picked up on Earth and brought back that would be highly dangerous to our allies here that have never been exposed,” Sheppard explained quietly and Tony couldn’t help but notice the way the man’s voice inflected over the word _bug_.

Tony nodded in understanding. "Kinda like the Europeans and the natives, huh? I'm Anthony DiNozzo, but you probably already know that." It was when he reached out his hand to shake that he noticed a shorter man standing directly behind the Colonel, glaring at him with obvious disdain. The Colonel seemed to notice his companion’s ire and he turned and gave the man a warning look.

“I’m Colonel Shepherd, head of military operations on Atlantis, and the rude man behind me is my sub, Dr. McKay, head of the science departments. Dr. Weir, Atlantis’s expedition leader wanted to greet you as well, but she had a diplomatic issue come up last minute with one of our allies,” Shepherd explained as he shook Tony's hand and gestured for Tony to follow him.

“It’s nice to meet both of you, Colonel, Dr. McKay,” Tony inclined his head and made sure to keep his distance from the Colonel as he met Dr. McKay’s eyes. The man seemed to unwind slightly when he realized Tony wasn’t going to flirt or make a play at his Dom.

Not that the Colonel wasn’t incredibly easy on the eyes, but Tony did not wish to make enemies on his first day or come between partners at all. He followed at a sedate pace and was surprised when Dr. McKay slowed to walk with him, and the Colonel a few feet ahead of them.

“You’re from the Washington D.C. branch of NCIS, right?” the man asked suddenly. Tony started in surprise but once again gave a nod.

Dr. McKay seemed to mull that over for a moment, “You have a forensic specialist there by the name of Abby Sciuto. She wrote a paper on genetic abnormalities a few years back that was very good. Is she as smart, not that you are particularly qualified to know, as she seems?”

Tony raised an eyebrow at the brusque tone Dr. McKay used, but he couldn’t help the wave of pride that came through him at the mention of Abby and irritation at the man’s distrust of her abilities.

“She’s the smartest person I have ever met and I know that she is considered one of the top in her field."

"Then why isn't she a doctor yet?"

"She refuses to pursue a PhD because she’s afraid that it will somehow transform her into a snob. Or that’s what she said at least,” Tony mused.

The Colonel snorted and Dr. McKay’s stare turned icy again.

Tony would defend Abby to the end, but he really would rather not fall any further in the eyes of the Head Scientist today. Tony realized the man must be extremely territorial of his Dom and calculated a response, “Dr. McKay, Colonel Sheppard, is Alex still going to be in charge of helping me get settled and teaching me...the ropes?” Tony made sure to put as much innuendo as he could behind the words.

This time Tony got to see a fully fledged Rodney McKay grin, “He is hot isn’t he? A little cocky, but every sub that’s played with him has said that they would do anything to have him as their permanent Dpm. He’ll definitely teach you the ropes.”

Colonel Sheppard stopped at his sub’s comment and added, “Don’t think he’s just looking for a bed warmer, Agent DiNozzo. When Alex Dupree takes a sub, even temporarily he expects that sub to be only with him.”

The Colonel looked straight at Tony with such an intense expression that Tony ducked his head and murmured respectfully, “Yes, sir, I understand.”

It seemed the right thing to do with when both Sheppard and McKay gave each other a look and then led Tony into what he immediately realized was the med lab.

“Well, this must be our new lad,” a handsome man with a Scottish lilt looked up from where he was writing something on a chart.

“Sergeant Dupree was just telling me about our new member. Special Agent Antonio DiNozzo isn’t it?” the man continued.

“Tony, sir, I prefer Tony,” Tony smiled as he found himself responding to the cheerful attitude of the new man.

“Tony, this is Dr. Beckett,” Colonel Sheppard introduced, “Rodney and I have to get back to work, but Sergeant Dupree will escort you for the rest of the day and help you get settled.” Colonel Sheppard laughed quietly at the grin that spread across Tony’s face at Alex’s name.

The two left and Tony was alone with just Dr. Beckett, although he assumed that Alex was close by.

Dr. Beckett gave him a reassuring smile as he patted a bed, “Now, lad, come on up here and sit down for me. I’ve been reading over your chart and it makes for some interesting stuff. Pneumonic plague? I would not have believed it if not for the extensive report Dr. Pitt wrote. Now, have you had any other problems since you came through the gate? Nausea, headache, or the ilk?”

“No, sir,” Tony answered quickly and firmly. He felt fine physically, but he hoped the Doctor didn’t ask how he was doing mentally. He wasn’t sure on that end. Dr. Beckett continued to ask him general health questions and occasional hummed affirmatively or murmured a response.

“Good. Good. We'll be able to fix most if not all of the damage done to your lungs. I'll let you get settled in and we'll discuss a time that is convenient," Dr. Beckett grinned at Tony's astonished look.

General scans were conducted, and in no time the doctor was saying, "I think that’s about it. Sergeant Dupree?” Dr. Beckett called out as he strapped off a blood pressure cuff.

“Here Doc. Everything good?” the man in question entered from a side door. He smiled mischievously at Tony and Tony felt a tug of arousal shoot through him again and fought hard against blushing. He’d never been so openly pursued by a male or a Dom in such a public setting and it was turning him on in a way he’d never been before.

“Everything looks fine, Sergeant. Now, Tony, if you start to feel any of the symptoms I just outlined for you within the next twenty-four hours you’re to come to the infirmary immediately. Do you understand, son?” Beckett advised and asked.

Tony opened his mouth to respond, but Alex answered for him.

“He’s my responsibility for the next two weeks as he gets settled and if there is so much as a sniffle from him, Doc, he’ll be here,” Alex remarked sternly and gave Tony an equally stern look. Tony ducked his head, but nodded in agreement.

“Is there any restrictions on play?” Alex asked when Dr. Beckett had turned to sign off on Tony’s chart. Tony immediately inhaled deeply in surprise and started coughing from the quick intake. Both Doms turned to him with raised eyebrows and Tony suddenly couldn’t help it anymore. He was sure that he was blushing so much that his toes were red. His cock was already straining against his pants and Tony had never felt mortified or turned on so much at that same time in his life.

Dr. Beckett finally just chuckled softly, “No tight bondage and no complete sensory deprivation for at least two days until we’re sure that his body has adjusted to the changes in atmosphere. Aside from that, you're both clear to have fun.”

Alex finally took pity on his new charge and turned to Tony, who was trying to casually hide his erection. It made Alex want to turn him over right in front of the Doc and take him publicly just to get the man to soar higher than he probably ever had before.

“Let’s go, Tony. I’m sure you’re ready to see your quarters, then get a shower and food,” Alex continued on and turned to leave without even waiting to see if Tony would follow. Tony jumped up and muttered a thank you to the doctor and rushed to catch up with Alex.

He reached Alex and matched his steps to his guide's as he realized something.

"My apartment back home...and my clothes?" he mused as Alex turned him down a corridor.

Alex looked over at him before answering, "The SGC will pack your things up, take care of your lease, and they'll handle delivering your clothes in the next few days with one of the scheduled visits from Earth. If there's anything specific you want out of your things then make a list and I'll make sure that you get it."

Tony nodded amicably, "My DVDs?"

Alex laughed before shaking his head in amusement, "You're in another galaxy, living an adventure, and you want to watch a movie?"

Tony shot him a disappointed look, "Hey, I'll have you know that cinema is an art. Would you move and not take a priceless painting with you?"

Alex tilted his head in amused concession and they fell back into a companionable silence.

They made it into an elevator type of room and Tony felt a whoosh before Alex finagled the buttons and they stopped. The elevator shut down in semi-darkness and Tony felt a sense of déjà vu.

“You okay, Tony? Everything good? It can be a bit overwhelming at first I know,” Alex inquired while stepping into his personal space till they were just barely touching.

“I’m fine,” Tony croaked. Alex grinned wolfishly and brought a hand up to cup the back of Tony’s neck. Then with one last smile he swooped in and claimed Tony’s lips for the second time. This time Alex went slowly and it felt more like an introduction kiss than anything. Tony shivered as Alex’s tongue slid into his open mouth and explored while Alex’s hands were doing the same with his body.

Tony bucked up when Alex’s fingers found his nipples and tweaked them hard. Alex chuckled, his voice deep and vibrating in the air between them, but leaned in again to continue to lick his way into Tony’s very core, and back Tony up against the wall. Pushing their bodies together tightly, Alex didn’t give any leeway as he explored his new playmate.

“Do you normally take new inhabitants this quickly or am I an exception?” Tony only halfway joked. He needed to know before he was going to allow himself to fall at all for the man pressed against him. Alex froze completely and Tony hoped he hadn’t offended the man, but Alex only laughed softly.

“No, Tony, I don’t take every attractive sub that comes through the gate to my bed. You’re an exception to one of my rules, actually. I have always swore I wouldn’t take a new Atlantean to my bed until their dynamic was fully discovered. I’m a hardcore Dom with a bit of sadomasochism tendencies. You think you can handle that, boy?” Alex’s voice had dropped considerably and Tony found himself standing a bit taller and placing his open hands at his side as if for inspection.

“Yes sir, I can handle that. I can handle almost anything except fluid play and heavy blood play,” Tony answered in a clear, but respectful tone.

“Hmm, there’s just something about you that makes me want to see how well our kinks mesh. No harm in a little casual play and if it works out that we’re compatible then we’ll take it from there. If not, then you’ll at least get a little stress relief before starting work tomorrow and I promise you there is a lot to be done,” Alex explained as he continued to sooth Tony’s ruffled feathers over the perception that he was being seen as an easy fuck.

“Thank you, sir,” Tony found himself replying.

Alex burst out in a peel of laughter, “No need to thank me yet, boy, but I promise you that there will be soon. Now, food first, then I’ll show you where you’re quartered and let you clean up, but you look as if food is a priority.”

Tony nodded as his stomach growled, but something else was tingling at him. He cleared his throat hesitantly when Alex went to restart the transporter.

“Sir, may I…” Tony drifted off and cupped a hand over Alex’s tented erection. If anything the erection grew harder at Tony’s unasked question.

“Get on your knees, boy,” Alex rose completely into his top space and tugged his zipper down, before pushing his pants and boxers over his hips. He stepped forward and nestled a hand into the back of Tony’s head and clenched tightly at the soft hair. Then he brought his cock to Tony’s full lips and thrust in experimentally. Tony didn’t waste a minute before opening wide and indicating his willingness to be used.

Alex did use him. Hard, brutal, and fast without giving Tony anytime to recover between thrusts. The thrusts would have knocked Tony’s head back against the wall, but Alex held him by the hair, tightly in place. Finally, Alex felt his balls tighten in warning and he held Tony’s head still with both hands and shot his come deep within the recesses of Tony’s throat. Alex was pleased to see that Tony was swallowing around him and doing it with ease.

“Thank you, sir,” Tony whispered when he had pulled back and cleaned Alex off with small wipes of his tongue.

Alex couldn’t help it; he laughed. “God, Tony, I should be thanking you. You’re a talented boy as well as beautiful. That was amazing. Now up and at’em. We’ve got things to do and lots of places for you to see.”

He pulled Tony out of the transporter and Tony blinked in confusion. He could have sworn they were right back in the off-shoot corridor of the gate room. He knew he wasn’t mistaken when Alex huffed exasperatedly.

“I thought McKay was going to fix that. We’ve had issues lately of the transporter acting up and depositing you somewhere other than your destination. Come on, we’ll walk to another access point and see if that one will get us where we want to go,” Alex sighed.

Tony let himself be led out of the corridor. They turned the corner and Alex stopped briefly to point out a tall brunette.

“That would be Dr. Weir,” Alex informed him.

Dr. Elizabeth Weir looked like a strict disciplinarian to Tony, but there was something in her face that made him also think she was fair and just. She was talking to a petite woman who faced away from Tony and Alex. The small woman had beautiful blond hair and she was dressed in elaborate robes and had a dainty tiara atop her head.

“That’s her royal highness, the Princess Melantha; she rescued one of our men from slavery after his team was slaughtered. She’s here to broker a deal for trading. Dr. Weir is thrilled to have an ally that is slightly more advanced technologically than we are,” Alex explained.

Tony felt the normal stirring he felt with beautiful women and he couldn’t even see the face of one of them. He had no doubt that the ruling princess was as beautiful as her lithe body and ethereal golden hair hinted.

“Come on Tony, let’s head out,” Alex murmured in his ear and squeezed one of Tony’s ass cheeks firmly, drawing Tony’s attention back to Alex.

Tony gave Alex a sheepish look and allowed himself to once again be led away.

\---

Rodney followed his Dom into their quarters curiously. It wasn't often that John decided to cut his day short and therefore cut Rodney’s as well.

“Strip,” John’s terse words made Rodney realize that this was more than just a reprieve from their day.

He didn’t bother to argue and methodically took off his clothes and John slid his belt from the loops of his uniform.

“Lay down over the table, Rodney, we need to discuss your treatment of our new Agent Afloat,” John said quietly.

Rodney grimaced. He should have seen this coming. He just couldn’t help it. Anthony DiNozzo was everything he’d ever worried about when it came to his Dom. Handsome, smart, and outright naughty at times. The challenge always invoked something in John.

“I’m sorry,” he said contritely though he didn’t really feel it yet.

“I know you want to be, but we have to get there first,” John said quietly.

The first smack came surprisingly hard and the following blows didn’t let up until Rodney felt himself fall apart.

“I am sorry, sir. I am…I just worry,” Rodney babbled and the belt slipped from John’s hands. Then Rodney felt himself turned and he slid to the floor to look up at his Dom.

“Besides the fact we’re mated, Rodney, you should know that I only ever want you. I want you to be nice to that boy from now on. He’s having a hard enough time as it is. Every indication we saw when we surveyed him shows that his only family was his team. We need to give him a family here,” John said quietly.

Rodney sniffed, but managed to smile waveringly. Give the boy a family. That he could do. After all that’s what Atlantis and her crew had long ago become to him.


	3. Part 2

It wasn’t often that Gibbs found himself stunned to silence. He had been provoked to screaming in rage at times, but not shell shocked.

Director Vance was sitting behind his desk calmly chewing on a toothpick, acting as if he hadn’t just informed the leader of his major response team that Gibbs’ senior agent was gone and unavailable to explain himself.

“Agent DiNozzo has been reassigned to a top secret post. It’s need-to-know only, and you are not to be read in.” There was a hint of a smug smile in Vance’s voice as he told Gibbs. “If Agent DiNozzo was such as important asset to your team then perhaps he should have been in the field with you and not behind a desk. I don’t pay one of my leading agents to sit behind a desk and use a computer he barely knows how to turn on. I was under the impression you hired him because of his instincts, but I’m beginning to wonder if you hired him to play secretary and look pretty.”

Gibbs forced himself to stay still and not reach over and shove Vance’s toothpick down his throat. He just gritted his teeth and nodded once to the director and turned to leave.

“And Agent Gibbs, if I even hear of one _inkling_ of Agent McGee or Miss Sciuto trying to locate Tony via computer, then your entire team and anyone involved is fired without recommendation. Not one of you will work for the government again, regardless of past accreditations,” Director Vance called out. Gibbs allowed himself to slam the door.

If he couldn’t find Tony using either Tim or Abby then he’d have to do it the old fashioned way and call in favors. If that didn’t work then he could knock some heads around too.

But what on earth had happened? Why had Vance done this? True, maybe he thought Tony wasn’t being used to his full ability. But Tony was completely loyal, he wouldn’t have left. Not willingly. Was he forced? Was Tony threatened? No, Vance’s body language would have indicated if he had sent Tony into danger. He had looked at ease, maybe even amused. It infuriated Gibbs.

He stalked down the stairs to his team and immediately ordered them all down to Abby’s lab. Tim and Ziva jumped up and followed immediately, and trailed behind him cautiously. They must have been wary of the tone in Gibbs’ voice.

Gibbs kept a handle on his anger until everyone was together in the lab, including Ducky, and finally began explaining: “Tony’s been reassigned…”

The team’s reactions were exactly as he had expected. Anger and confusion were voiced as everyone began to speak at once.

“QUIET!” he roared when it got out of hand.

When everyone looked at him expectantly Gibbs finished explaining what the Director had told him and emphasized to McGee and Abby that they were not to try and trace Tony using any technological means.

He met Ziva and Ducky’s eyes steadily and it went without saying that the three of them would start a quiet inquiry using their personal methods of tracking down information. It wasn’t until he’d dismissed everyone and started out the door himself when he heard Abby’s tremulous voice following behind him.

“Gibbs, I… I need to get a couple things from Tony’s desk. I loaned them to him. They’ll be clearing his stuff soon.” Abby quietly explained. He held the elevator door for her, and she joined him, eyes downcast. Gibbs took a good look at Abby as she hit the emergency stop and turned to face him. She looked earnest, and tried to say more, but it was difficult for her to find the right words. Gibbs sighed, and put a hand on her arm gently. He was surprised she hadn’t broken down sooner. “You can’t try and trace him, Abs, I mean it,” he ordered again in a soft tone.

Abby sniffled and nodded, “That’s not fair. But Gibbs, I have to explain…” She bit her lip, her face torn with indecision. Then she steeled herself, and looked up at him, and Gibbs knew she was going to say something very serious. “I know you’re going to go looking for him and scour his personal life to see if it will tell you anything…”

Gibbs eyes narrowed at Abby’s hesitant voice. His gut was telling him she was afraid to tell him, and that she might be breaking a code of confidence with Tony.

“What is it, Abby? Whatever it is it’s not going to change anything,” he told her firmly.

“You mean it?”

He nodded.

Abby looked relieved. “Tony wasn’t entirely straight,” Gibb’s eyebrows flew up and Abby pressed forward before he could say anything, “and when you go digging into his personal life you’re going to find out that he was a submissive, and he was in the BDSM lifestyle! But he was always careful Gibbs! He never attached himself to a Dom permanently! Please, please, Gibbs, I know it’s a shock, but you can’t think any differently of him!”

Gibbs reeled back on his heels as he processed what Abby had just flat out given him. _Tony was bisexual. Tony was into BDSM. Tony was a s **ub**. A sub that had never trusted a Dom to collar him._

The information sifted so slowly through his mind that when he finally registered it all, Abby was watching his face for clues just as clearly as he was thinking about all the obvious signs there had been with Tony. Whatever Abby saw made her immensely happy under the circumstances.

“I knew it! I knew you wanted Tony, I knew you were a Dom! I kept telling him to make a move, but Tony is a very old fashioned sub and all. He likes to be pursued, not that he’ll ever admit it, not for that matter that he ever admitted that it was you all those patsies were supposed to be,” Abby was talking a mile a minute. She knew he was a Dom? For the second time that day Gibbs had been shocked into silence. His eyebrows furrowed.

Abby poked him playfully. “Oh, come on Gibbs. I may not be an investigator likes you guys, but I can read a face. You were thrilled that Tony was bi and a sub. And you were pissed that he’d been with other guys, but still happy that he wasn’t serious with any of them,” Abby explained with a happy little dance as Gibbs stared dumbly at her.

He finally found his footing when she finished her last speech, “None of that matters right now. We're going to find Tony and bring him home,” Gibbs answered and thought to himself _if he wants to come home_.

Although at this point, knowing what he did know, Gibbs wasn’t beyond handcuffing Tony to him and tying him to a bed when they got back.

Abby’s eyes flickered down and her mood sank. She was subdued again and nodded in understanding.

“Find him, boss, you have too. Tony’s not Tony without you,” she pleaded quietly. Gibbs nodded and gently laid a hand on her head. Then he let his hand drop and hit the elevator button, putting his game face back on as the elevator began to make its way up to the main floor.

\---

Tony couldn’t help but moan as he awoke. His body was deliciously sore from the previous nights activities and for the first time in forever he could feel the remnants of where his hands hand been tied, although loosely, to the links that hung above the bed for that specific purpose. He took a few minutes to wonder why he trusted Alex when he had never trusted another Dom to tie him up before.

There was something about the man that put him at ease. Just like Abby did, except there was no sexual tension between Abby and himself.

The night before had been amazing, but Tony regretfully knew that it wasn’t what he’d been searching for. Alex held the right amount of dominance and forcefulness in his behavior, but their kinks didn’t click perfectly. Alex was a hardcore sadist. Tony was fine with a little bit of pain, but too much felt like punishment. Alex, strangely enough, also wasn’t mean enough for him. Tony didn’t like to be flat out verbally abused, but he did like being humiliated just enough to bring him down a notch or two. He had enjoyed the worshipful compliments Alex had given him, but there was an edge missing to their play. Tony was beginning to wonder if anyone’s dynamic would ever match his completely, but he still couldn’t get the picture of all the happily matched Dom and subs he’d seen on Earth before.

“Hey there, how you feel?” Alex’s voice broke through his train of thought.

Tony turned to his new lover and smiled. He couldn’t help but cuddle into the rumpled marine and was pleasantly surprised to find he was still floating inside the serene place in his mind the other man had taken him to the night before.

Alex welcomed his body easily and adjusted them so that Tony’s athletic body lay easily over his chest. He chuckled at the soft, happy sigh Tony let loose and leaned down to kiss the man.

“Thank you for last night, sir,” Tony’s voice was grateful, but Alex picked up on the hesitation.

“It was great for me too, Tony. Don’t be disappointed, I know we’re not completely in sync with one another’s needs.”

Tony shrugged. “No one is ever perfect together.”

Alex trailed a hand over Tony’s back, just casually. Tony sighed into the touch. Trying to be offhanded, Alex said, “There are people who are perfect together. If we were meant to be, Atlantis would have bonded us as soon as we touched in the city.”

Tony blinked in surprise and looked up at him in curiosity. Alex eyebrows rose when he realized how little Tony had been briefed about the inner workings of his new home.

“The ancients, in their infinite _wisdom_ ,” Alex added in a sarcastic tone before gentling his voice again, “created a way for Atlantis to recognize two people that are perfect for one another.” He stopped for a minute before continuing, “For lack of a better word, soulmates. When Atlantis recognizes these two people, it uses some sort of built in technology to bind the two together mentally.”

Tony listened intently and his jaw dropped at the information, “That’s why the government was so quick to adhere to the rules that the original expedition set up while stranded.”

Alex nodded thoughtfully, “It’d have been awful hard not to with the heads of military and science linked together mentally. They’re not the only two anymore either, General O’Neill himself and Dr. Jackson linked the minute they visited Atlantis for the first time. The top brass wasn’t happy. There was some buzz in Washington about replacing the General as head of the SGC, but the amount of fallout from that would have been disastrous. They would have lost Dr. Jackson, Colonel Samantha Carter, the help of Teal’c, and many more experts that have saved the world over and over again as well.”

Tony didn’t recognize everyone Alex was talking about, but he realized the principal of the situation. It would have been the same if any of the Directors had ever fired Gibbs. The amount of people that disliked him was high, but there was a larger amount of people that would have turned in their resignation flat out. "Huh."

“Yup. Alright Tony, up and at’em. I’ve got to get you acclimated to the city and ready to work ASAP. Those are my orders and now they’re yours,” Alex teased.

Tony flushed as Alex’s voice dipped into a dominant quality, “You’ve got to quit doing that while we’re moving around the city. I can’t expect to be respected if some guy I just met sends me floating just by the tone of his voice.”

Alex nodded in understanding, but Tony could tell he was disappointed. Alex reached out to tip Tony’s head up, “I will make a conscious effort not to throw you into your subspace in public Tony, but I’d like to continue this relationship if you wish.”

Tony tossed him a confused look, “But you said…”

He didn’t even get to finish before Alex broke in, “I meant we weren’t compatible as in forever, but there is nothing wrong with using one another to meet each other’s needs. It’s common here, but I’ll understand if you don’t want too. We’ll still be friends, but I’m a one sub at a time type of guy. I expect the same from my partner.”

Tony thought it over for only a millisecond, “I can do that. As long as we have an easy out clause. I don’t want to get in the way of you finding someone who is your soulmate.”

Alex smiled indulgently at him, “What about you, Tony? Don’t think there’s anyone out there just for you?”

Tony couldn’t help the sad smile when he answered, “I know there’s someone out there just for me. Unfortunately it’s not reciprocated.”

The finality in Tony’s voice kept Alex from pursuing the subject any further, but the protector in him responded to it fiercely and he leaned down to claim Tony’s lips in another hard kiss. Tony opened up just as sweetly as the first time and Alex wondered how the hell anyone couldn’t want the amazingly responsive man that was currently in his arms.

\---

The day passed by in a blur for Tony as Alex taught him everything he could about Atlantis. When they reached the jumper bay Tony was itching to learn to pilot one. Alex had laughed and led him inside to show him the basics of the controls, and promised to teach him to fly, and then bent him over the control booth for some hot, messy sex. Every time they went out, new things lit up. Alex explained it was because of an ancient gene therapy that had been successful on him.

Tony had been astonished at how easy and calm he felt in Atlantis and he almost felt as if he knew where to go instinctively.

That was what had led to their voracious appetites and a trip to the cafeteria. They were eating in happy silence when a shadow descended over them and Tony looked up to see a beautiful and familiar woman standing there with a tray. He immediately stood and pulled out a chair for the woman to sit when she waved a hand, asking to join them.

“Dr. Weir this is Special Agent DiNozzo. Tony this is Dr. Elizabeth Weir, the head of Atlantis and all Pegasus expeditions and extensions. She’s also the woman responsible for bringing you here,” Alex made the introductions.

Tony immediately recognized Dr. Weir as a dominant and he wondered at his newfound ability to see a person’s dynamic easily on sight. He wondered again if it was Atlantis.

“It’s nice to meet you, ma’am,” he respectfully replied.

Dr. Weir laughed lightly, “Oh, none of that, we’re rather laid back here. It’s Elizabeth at times like this. I’m very glad you accepted the assignment, Agent DiNozzo.”

“Tony, please, and I am still in shock over being chosen,” Tony answered honestly.

“There were many reasons for choosing you Tony, and not only because of your involvement in the lifestyle. You have a lot of experience and success in your field. Some reasons were not even known till just a while ago. I just came from a meeting with Dr. Beckett, Carson, and he told me the results of all your labs,” Elizabeth replied and paused almost dramatically before continuing. “You tested positive as a natural gene carrier for the ancient code. Has Atlantis been speaking to you?” Elizabeth giggled at the astonished look on Tony’s face.

“She talks?” he blurted out.

Elizabeth and Alex both laughed at that.

“Not technically, no, but she does in a roundabout way. Have you been able to tell whether someone was dom, sub, or switch by chance? Gene carriers are always able to tell on Atlantis,” she explained and Tony was once again flabbergasted at the new world around him.

“I thought I’d developed a sixth sense or something,” he mumbled, glancing across the room, and easily identifying the people he focused on, even if he didn't know them. He found his chin turned by a cupping hand and he was staring into Elizabeth’s serious eyes.

“I can see why you would think that. I know this is all new to you Tony, and there will be much more to come. I think you will do just fine. In fact, I know it. I have every bit of confidence in you,” Elizabeth added and smiled at the glee that shone in Tony’s eyes at the compliment.

“Now, I see that both of you are done, so perhaps Alex should show you where your office is. I noticed that everywhere you've gone has been something spectacular, and not something practical,” the admonishment was clear to Alex and the man shrugged unabashed.

If Dr. Weir had been the one to introduce Tony to Atlantis, Alex sincerely doubted the office would have been on her list of priorities either. More likely over her lap would have been her number one objective. That reminded him that he needed to go over Atlantis’ method of admonishment and discipline with Tony as well.

“Well then, ma’am, I guess we’ll see you at another time,” Alex inclined his head respectfully and took Tony’s and his tray to the dirty dish cart while Tony said his goodbyes.

“I guess I’ll be showing you your office. Now, whatever will we do with an empty desk and rolling chair?” He grinned mischievously at the other man. His grin turned larger as Tony blushed bright and eager at the implication.

Alex tossed an arm around Tony’s shoulder companionably and pulled the man down the corridor towards their destination.

“I have two weeks to help you out as you get settled. I was thinking we use that time to see how well we mesh as Dominant and submissive,” Alex stopped briefly to view Tony’s reaction. Tony felt excited, if a bit foolish. Fools dove into a relationship so quickly, but Tony’s heart was leading him straight into the danger. He trusted Alex, this friendly and passionate marine he had known for only a day. Tony stared back at Alex attentively and waited to see what his new guide would add.

“If we continue to get on as well as we have been, then… look, I know we’re going too fast,” Alex broke off hesitantly. Tony’s stomach dropped, realizing that Alex was about to say they shouldn’t sleep together anymore.

Tony was about to apologize for pulling them into this so irrationally, but Alex continued before Tony could say anything.

“We’re going fast, but in all honesty Tony, I’m lonely,” Alex sighed in a sad manner. Tony blinked in surprise. That was not what he was expecting.

“You’re the first play partner I’ve had that even comes close to offering what I want in a sub. If we both agree then I want to propose a standard contract outlining what we expect and want,” Alex paused and Tony, more relieved than he had ever been before, nodded enthusiastically and then forced himself to stop acting so eager.

"Hell yeah!"

Alex choked back a laugh.

“Hold off on agreeing until you know exactly what it is you’re agreeing to,” Alex chided.

Tony flushed, “Sorry, Alex,” he contritely answered.

Alex smiled at him, “If we decide to go through with the contract then I will want to collar you for the duration of it. I know it won’t be permanent since either of us might find our bonding-mate, but I like my subs collared and safe. If that’s amenable then I’ll take you to Corsica, one of the open markets on Treboisor, a nearby planet, and we’ll look for one for you one from the leatherworkers?” Tony couldn’t help but beam. He couldn’t help the way he wanted to belong to Alex, even if he was shocked by how fast this had happened. He wondered if he might have been looking for someone to help him and ground him without even knowing it. Tony had felt like he was falling and ungrounded on Earth. Maybe this was his chance to come back down to reality and keep his feet solidly planted.

\---

Treboisor was a temperate planet. The weather was pleasing and the vegetation appealing and colorful.

“Corsica is three miles east. Let’s start walking.” Alex told him. “I want to make sure that we have enough time to find what we want before we have to be back on Atlantis,” they fell into an easy step heading eastward.

The walk was uneventful but arriving in the marketplace, Tony was immediately overwhelmed by the amount of hustle and bustle in the trading town. Corsica for all intents and purposes was filled with different cultures and an array of different items for sale and barter.

“There’s a very good leather worker this way. Let’s go there first and then you can shop till your heart’s content,” Alex teased. Tony grinned at the idea of shopping. He wished he could buy souvenirs for Abby and the rest of the people he missed back on Earth, but Tony firmly clamped down on those melancholy emotions and reminded himself that he was never going to return there anyways.

“Ah, there he is, Tony come!” Alex’s voice broke through his dwelling and Tony hastened to catch up to his Dom who was already looking at designs and talking to the trader.

“Something simple with easy access for removal,” Alex was saying and Tony just let himself be pulled around, collar after collar held up to his neck. He modeled them all, play acting a little until Alex swatted him for his silliness. Finally Alex found one that was the softest leather Tony had ever touched and the lock was a simple slip and hook. Alex grinned as he paid the man and then wrapped the collar around Tony’s throat.

It was the first collar Tony had ever worn. All fun slipped away as he realized this moment was real. It had happened. He had been collared.

Maybe his eyes showed how overwhelmed he was, because Alex cradled his cheek then leaned in to kiss him so sweetly that Tony’s knees trembled.

“Hey there, you keeping it together?” Alex whispered.

“Yeah. I’m just a little…” Tony breathed deeply, willing his head and stomach to steel up. “I’m good. I’m good.”

“I know you are.” Alex kissed his ear and wrapped arms tightly around him. “I’m so proud of you, my brave boy. You look so good with my collar on you.” Tony smiled into Alex’s shoulder. Playfully, Alex broke up the seriousness by grabbing Tony’s ass and giving it a good shake. “I’m going to ride you so hard tonight that your legs are going to be jelly for the rest of the week.”

They separated with a laugh, but under the fun, under the arousal and the elation, Tony felt dread. Neither man was looking for a permanent relationship. There would be no elaborate collaring ceremony. They would both sign a contract when they returned to Atlantis, one they had both already wrote and agreed to. It simply detailed what the limits were and made it obvious that if one of them was to bond with someone else then the contract and collar was null and void. The idea of Alex eventually finding the person truly meant for him left an empty pit in Tony’s stomach, but he’d never hold Alex back from true love and companionship.

“Did you want to go look for some souvenirs from your first non-official gate trip?” Alex’s teasing voice broke through Tony’s pity party.

“Yeah, I wonder what passes for good quality shoes around here. Are there movies in this galaxy?” Tony answered, quickly masking his feelings. Alex stared at him hard for a moment, making Tony think he’d not done a good job of covering his loneliness, but then Alex nodded and gave him a one hour time limit. Tony took off determined to do as much as he could in the time allotted.

He perused several of the booths and had just found a trader that sold furniture and cuts of wood found in Pegasus. Tony ran his hand over several of the pieces, thinking of how much Gibbs would love to have his hands on the new materials. His touch was lingering on one specific cut of lightweight but extremely dense red wood when someone caught his attention out of the corner of his eye.

He turned and watched as a short, hooded figure took a bag of coin from a sleazy and dirty merchant. The hooded figure tilted his head and snapped a finger gloved in red. A beautiful, scantily-clad woman stepped immediately around the table dividing the sordid trader and the short figure in the cloak. The seedy merchant roughly grabbed the woman’s chin and turned her head side to side, then his fingers dug in her mouth to examine her healthy teeth, before finally grasping her breasts.

Tony growled in anger at the obvious display of abuse. That wasn’t consensual powerplay. It was obvious from the way the woman’s eyes were terrified. She seemed less like a woman and more like a girl as he drew closer. She couldn’t be more than fifteen. He was only a few feet away from the table when Alex was suddenly beside him and pulling him roughly away.

 _“DO NOT DO ANYTHING,_ ” Alex hissed into his ear. Tony turned to argue, but the look on his Dom's face kept him from saying anything further and he allowed himself to be dragged away.

“That girl was being inspected like a piece of property!” Tony raged.

“We are only allowed to trade and do business in Corsica if we don’t protest the slave trade.” Alex argued back, obviously not happy about it.

“I won’t stand for that!”

“We have to Tony! We hate it, but there’s nothing we can do here. Colonel Sheppard prevents it when we come across the slaves being taken from their own planet. We stop it as often as we can, but we can’t challenge the laws here or we’d be in big trouble,” Alex made clear as they walked back to the gate.

Tony cast one last glance towards the town and wished desperately he could go back and free that woman. He knew that Alex wouldn’t lie to him though, and he followed his Dom's lead. He vowed to do whatever he could to keep as many people from becoming slaves as possible.

Alex, as if sensing his discomfort, wrapped an arm around Tony and didn’t let go until they’d made it back to the gate. As they were walking up another group of people came from a different path. Tony shot a questioning look to Alex and reached for his sidearm only for Alex to stay his action with a hand motion.

“It’s alright Tony. We know these people. They are allies and the peace treaty holds here as well as the marketplace,” Alex murmured before raising his voice to the others, “Good afternoon, your Highness.”

Tony started at the honorific and took a closer look at the pretty, petite blond standing in the middle of a buff group of warriors. She was familiar.

“Greetings, Atlantean,” the woman responded and Tony was taken aback by how musical her voice lilted. “How are you and your fine companion this day?” the woman said quietly while lowering her head and peering submissively through thick eyelashes. Tony gritted his teeth as she smiled prettily at Alex and he felt off balance at the inane jealousy that rocketed through him. Alex almost immediately picked up on Tony’s ire though, and Tony couldn’t help the smile that blossomed as Alex pulled him close before answering.

“We’re just fine, my lady. Just came to do a bit of shopping."

The woman gestured to Tony. "Is this one not troubled?"

"My sub is a bit upset at that slave trading he saw. He is new to Pegasus,” Alex explained Tony’s attitude away.

Tony wondered at the hooded look that came over the pretty young woman’s face at Alex’s words, but the gate soon burst into action and the party said their farewells. Then it was their turn and they made their way home through the gate and were back in Alex’s quarters before Tony could fully think about it. The woman’s answering words still stuck in his head though and he filed them away for future pondering.

_“Many things are different and unique about our galaxy, sweet one; perhaps it would be best if you just tried to overlook their ways while you are here.”_

The woman had said _their ways_ , but she had first said _our galaxy_ and the possessive tone she’d used didn't sit right with Tony.

\---

The months flew by as Tony became used to life on Atlantis and in the Pegasus galaxy. There were a few small cases, but nothing major that required more than a stern look and a spanking or two. Tony was quickly coming to think of Atlantis as home and he realized with a jolt that it had been a long time since he’d felt that way about a place. Washington and NCIS had become a routine but without Gibbs and his teammates there would have been nothing there.

Tony yawned as he threw himself down onto his bed. Alex was off world with his team and Tony missed the companionship. He briefly thought of going to sleep in the Dom’s quarters, but shook off the idea. Alex wouldn’t have cared, but they were nothing more than friends with benefits, great benefits, but benefits none-the-less.

He finally settled down into a restless night's sleep. Tony awoke abruptly to the ringing of his alarm clock and reached over to slam his hand on the offending machine. He felt like he’d only gotten a couple hours of sleep. It was only when the alarm continued that he realized it was his comm link going off instead.

“DiNozzo,” he gruffly replied.

“Special Agent DiNozzo, I think you’d better report to the gate room. Be ready to go off world,” answered the always calm voice of Dr. Weir.

“Be there in ten,” he replied, instantly awake after years of being Gibbs’ senior agent.

Jumping out of bed, Tony was dressed and running to the gate room in under four minutes. He slid to a halt outside of the main corridor and fast walked inside the room. He found his normal team of lackeys awaiting him, and Colonel Sheppard with his sub standing with them.

“We’re going to PX-491,” the Colonel started.  
 _  
“We’re_ not going anywhere, no offense Colonel. I don’t know what happened, but I can’t have the head of Atlantis military _and_ the head scientist off world at a crime scene,” Tony interrupted.

Dr. McKay bristled immediately, “It’s MY scientist that’s dead Agent DiNozzo, and we don’t know if it was something to do with the alien technology. I am going with you.”

“And if Rodney’s going then I’m going,” Colonel Sheppard followed immediately.

Tony sighed but gave a quick nod. He knew when to not fight a battle that was already lost. Let Elizabeth have all of Atlantis to run if this entire party didn't return.

“Then Colonel, if you’d give the order to dial her up _please_.”

Colonel Sheppard almost rolled his eyes, but they had all gotten used to Tony's obnoxious side after several months. (Besides, he was nowhere near as bad as Rodney.) Sheppard nodded above to the control center and the gate started to turn. Tony watched, almost entranced, as the gate became active. He would never get tired of that.

\---

PX-491 was a hot rocky world. There were old, ruined buildings, made of strange mixture of metal and stone.

“The initial hypothesis is that this was an Ancient outpost that had been built around by more primitive societies that followed,” Dr. McKay’s voice reached Tony just as he wondered about the odd differences in architecture.

It was obviously late day here from the way the sun dipped in the horizon. They would quickly lose the sunlight. Tony pulled out his camera and notepad, ready to snap photos of whatever scene they found. The interviews would have to come second, Tony thought as they came upon the expedition group.

The scientists all looked sweaty and tired. The marines were sweaty too, but they were holding up better in the conditions. They had all been working since early in the morning and Tony could see how the conditions might have lead to bad tempers. There didn’t seem to be any attacking aliens hanging around.

He looked at the time the murder had been called in. It had taken them less than an hour to respond so Tony knew that the body would still be fairly fresh and while he was not a medical examiner, if cause of death wasn’t obvious he could easily call back for Carson or Dr. Keller.

All the members of the party watched him warily, silently. Tony could see in their eyes they were disturbed. Disturbed by the death? By violence? Had there been violence or had a teammate just suddenly keeled over?

“Guys, please separate all the witnesses so they can’t talk to each other. Dr. McKay, I will let you know if it looks like anything technological did this as soon as I see the scene. My team knows what to do as well and will help separate them,” Tony ordered.

Tony still found it weird that he had a team of marines with no investigative skills whose sole purpose was to do what he said and keep him alive at the same time.

Tony’s team began to move. The marines from the away team acted very guarded. They seemed stiff, defensive, holding their guns tightly as he walked by. The scientists seemed cowed and skittish. They looked away from Tony, and wouldn’t meet his eyes. Both groups looked equally unhappy to see their bosses with Tony.

The leader from the away team came up to meet him. They stiffly shook hands. Tony smiled. The Master Sergeant did not. Tony immediately noted the hostility and used his tone of voice to let the man know he was aware that his presence was not desired.

“So, what happened here? I understand someone is dead,” Tony kept his voice steady and stern.

“Yes, our lead archeologist, Dr. Holloway. Let me show you,” the marine replied as he nodded his head to the ruins and lead the way.

The ruins looked like something out of Star Wars. The walls were stone, but there were metallic panels. There had been technology here at some point, but that was long ago, exactly like Rodney had suggested. The ceiling had been corroded away, leaving them exposed to the sun. It was in the center of a large control room where the dead body lay, in a pool of blood.

“Here he is,” the marine gestured. Tony snapped several photographs from different angles.

Tony crouched over Dr. Holloway, seeing lots of blood from a wound to the chest. There was just a little bit of fabric burn on the man’s shirt. It had been close range.

“Look at this, a plain old bullet wound. How domestic is that? I was hoping for something more exciting, you know, like a phaser. _Phzzzzzz_. Or a light saber. _Whomp_. _Whomp_ ,” He made accompanying gestures with the sound effects. “Do any of the alien races have light sabers?” Tony asked, full obnoxious grin on.

The man frowned, “No,” he stood rigid.

“Well, that’s a disappointment,” Tony said conversationally, “I’m here in a sci-fi flick and there are no light sabers.”

The Master Sergeant’s frown deepened and his voice was condescending, “Are you even qualified to investigate this?”

Tony’s next smile was sufficiently less nice, “Let your boss worry about that. I have to say, I don’t think this man was killed by aliens. Can you tell me what happened here?”

The man pursed his lips and looked away. Tony didn’t particularly admire a marine that couldn’t stare him down.

“Master Sergeant?” he asked again in an ever harder tone.

“I don’t know,” the man’s voice was steady, but his head tilted to the left.

“Maybe someone else will. No one goes home until they’ve all been interviewed,” Tony replied and kept any suspicion out of his voice. No need to let anyone realize that he already knew that someone was covering for someone else.

The Master Sergeant sighed, but Tony ignored him, “And no one comes in this area without my permission. Now first thing I need to document this scene. Colonel Sheppard has already separated everyone, so tell all of them to sit tight, and find somewhere for yourself to park it as well. It may be a few hours.”

The Master Sergeant muttered an unkind curse under his breath.

Tony clapped the man on the shoulder, bearing down hard. “Don’t worry, I’ll find whoever did this.” He let just a hint of a threat into his voice. He squeezed the man’s shoulder, and let the man know that he maybe a sub, but he was also like a dog with a bone when it came to a dead body.

Tony watched as the Master Sergeant exited just as rapidly as he had brought Tony in and the tension was now obvious between his neck and shoulders in the marine’s stance.

Tony took note of that and then further examined the crime scene. Not for the first time he wished that he had Ducky’s medical knowledge when it came to placement and time of death. Tony was required to go on the word of the other expedition members and his own instincts until the body was sent to Atlantis. It was as he took in the scene and followed the bullet projectory that he found what he was looked for. Grabbing an evidence bag from his pocket, he slipped a glove on, and picked up the metallic object.

Grimacing, Tony immediately recognized the round. He’d been working around military issued weaponry for the last ten years and he recognized the standard round that was used often in the hand guns marines carried. It confirmed his suspicions that the man had been killed by one of the very men that was supposed to be there to protect him. The only questions now were the ‘why’ and the ‘who’.

Determining there was nothing left to observe Tony quickly pocketed the evidence and headed out for interviews.

He pulled Colonel Sheppard aside, and Dr. McKay followed as expected.

“The man was killed by one of your marines, Sheppard,” Tony immediately informed him and secretly showed them the evidence bag. “I need this forensically proven for official documentation if charges are going to be pressed back on Earth, Dr. McKay,” Tony added quietly. The procedure had long been discussed, outlined, processed, and approved by Dr. Weir and then Internal Affairs back on Earth.

“I’ll be back quickly,” Dr. McKay’s voice was quiet for once, but Tony could hear the justified anger behind it. One of the man’s crew had just been killed and that wouldn’t settle with any decent person.

“Colonel Sheppard, I’ll need the files on all of the people here as well,” Tony added.

Sheppard looked up surprised, “You intend to do the entire investigation here and not on Atlantis?”

Tony nodded slowly and thought about how to word his reasoning, “They’re being very hush hush. The quicker I talk to your marines, sir, the faster I’ll find out who they are all covering for. This isn’t just a matter of one man covering for his friend; this is accomplice to murder for five of your men, Colonel. I intend to see each and every one of them know that their career is over and jail time is probable. If anyone’s innocent in this I’ll be able to weed that out too.”

Sheppard seemed to understand his reasoning because he motioned Dr. McKay to follow him back to the gate.

Tony nodded goodbye to both Dr. McKay and Colonel Sheppard. It was sometimes hard to separate the two from John and Rodney, but in official situations it made it easier for Tony and them to do their jobs. Tony finally turned back to look at the people that were lined up with at least fifteen feet between each of them. The sun had dipped even lower and Tony ordered Jacobs and Martinez, two of his team, to set up temporary lights. Tony wondered where he should do the interviews.

He briefly thought about taking each marine into the room with Dr. Holloway’s body, but tossed that idea right out of his head. Something like that would end him ass up over Dr. Weir’s lap (or at the least Alex’s) and Alex had made it clear how displeased he was going to be if asked to ever punish Tony.

When Dr. Weir had already called them in to discuss what would happen if Tony ever had to be admonished, Alex hadn’t been pleased when it was suggested that someone else handle it. He’d even gone as far as telling Dr. Weir that he’d put a collar on Tony before someone else put a hand or any other implement on his ass. The collar and contract had followed not long after that conversation.

Tony didn’t take Alex’s protectiveness for anything other than what it was. The man genuinely cared what happened to Tony and as long as Tony was his to care for then he’d be taking care of him.

Tony nodded approvingly when Corporal Jonathon Sharpe called him over to one of the tents that had been set up for research purposes. Inside he found that Sharpe had cleared off one long table and placed a chair facing the entrance behind it.

“Do you want them to have a chair, sir?” the man asked when Tony immediately started around the table.

Tony couldn’t help but chuckle, “This isn’t an interrogation Jon, just interviews for now. Yes, let’s give them a chair and I want you to tell Jacobs to call non-military personal in here one by one first and then the marines. Tell Martinez to keep a sharp eye on everyone while I talk to each of them. I want to know how the marines react.”

Sharpe looked confused for one moment, “What about me, sir?”

Tony raised an eyebrow and knew the minute Sharpe felt smaller than two feet, “I want you to stand in that corner over there, and in between interviews you’re going to tell me what you think about each person’s interview.”

Sharpe looked at him in surprise, but when Tony raised an eyebrow he was out of the tent and giving the other two their orders. Tony shook his head wryly as he watched. All three members of Tony’s team were smart, but Sharpe showed the most potential for being a true asset to Tony. It would take training, and Tony had his work cut out for him, but Sharpe could and would make a damn good investigator one day as well as a good marine. Tony didn’t plan to train and teach like Gibbs had. He wouldn’t expect Sharpe to read his mind. But he did plan to make sure Sharpe learned to listen to interviews and hear what the person wasn’t saying instead of what they were. If there was anything he could teach, that was it.

The first woman to come in, Dr. Winters, was a nice switch from what Tony had seen, but it was what he had heard that made him want to talk to her first. Rodney had made a remark over dinner a few weeks back about her rotating from Area 51 to Atlantis recently and she had a near photogenic memory and an excellent ability to see outside the box. Tony wanted to hear her recollection of events first since they would probably be the closest to what happened.

Despite her last name, she was normally warm and bubbly; she now looked rough and terrified.

“Please sit down, Elaine,” Tony said softly and pulled his canteen from his side. He handed it over the table to her and she took it with a trembling hand.

“Thank you, Agent DiNozzo,” she said hoarsely.

“Tony, Elaine, and it’s going to be okay. I want you to just tell me what you know about the sequence of events,” he prodded gently.

Elaine nodded and passed the canteen back over after taking a few sips.

“Dr. Baker and Sterne, Terrell, and Smith were out combing the area looking for a secondary entrance to what we think is a half-buried temple. Dr. Lukas and Harley were in here writing out a supply list to send back to Atlantis. It looked like we were going to request an extended stay of about three more days. There’s a lot here and we think that once we break the surface and enter the underground facilities we could find ancient tech. There is an energy reading some fifty feet down or so,” Elaine closed her eyes as she talked and Tony could see her purposely taking herself back to the that afternoon.

“Dr. Holloway and Master Sergeant Dunn were at odds about staying. They’ve been at odds, honestly, since we arrived here. The tension was irritating, but they stayed out of one another’s way most of the time. I don’t know where Major Sergeant Dunn was at exactly that moment, but he was the one who found the body,” Elaine stopped and took a deep breath and seemed to contemplate something for a moment.

Tony quickly encouraged her insight, “What is it, Elaine?”

She frowned slightly, “I don’t want it to sound like Dunn did it, sir, because he seemed tore up about Keith’s, Dr. Holloway that is, death. Almost like…like they had been lovers or something.”

Tony thought about it for a moment and made a mental note to question the others about that and was about to let Elaine go when he realized she had left someone out. She continued on before he could ask though and Tony could see that she was confused about something.

“Sergeant Davis wasn’t at the gate for the dial in check up. I was taking a walk to make sure my legs still worked,” she wryly remarked and rubbed her thighs subconsciously. “I’d been lying under a stone tablet all morning. I decided to go to the gate and keep him company. He’s seemed out of sorts lately. He’s been assigned to my team ever since I arrived on Atlantis. He wasn't at the gate. I assumed that he’d already walked back, but thinking back I know I didn’t pass him and no one had asked for his help over the comm link. We keep them to the same frequency in case of emergency. It logs if turned to another channel,” Elaine stopped and Tony could see she was trying to think of where Davis could have been. He made a note to get the comm link logs just to make sure someone hadn’t been having a private conversation.

“Anything else, Elaine? Anything you can think of?” he asked one last time. She shook her head after a few minutes.

“Alright, Elaine, Corporal Sharpe is going to walk you to a spot. I want you to sit tight there until we finish up. It’s going to be awhile, Elaine, and I’m sorry for that,” Tony warned her.

She nodded in understanding, “I get it, Tony. I really do. I can put the pieces together as well, but I can’t stand to think that one of the people I’ve been working with for the past week did this.”

Elaine darted out of the tent with Corporal Sharpe on her heels. Tony reviewed his notes and waited for Sharpe to reenter.

“So, Jon, what do you think?” he asked quietly as he looked through his notes.

The Corporal wetted his lips, and rocked on his heels. “She's honest, from her tone and the way she spoke to the point. She’s known to do well under pressure and show complete professionalism, so her being calm and not too emotionally distraught is not alarming. Her assessment of the relationship between Holloway and Dunn needs to be followed up, but I do think her input about his state upon finding the body is telling. Could have been a lover’s quarrel, but Dunn is known to be a good and level-headed Dom. Davis is the one that I think we need to question closely,” Jon finished up and looked at Tony nervously.

Tony nodded, “Good assessment Jon. The only thing you need to watch is taking too much of what a witness says for flat fact until you’ve finished putting together the entire puzzle. Elaine could easily be correct, but until we question the others we don’t know for sure.”

Tony turned back to his notes to hide the smile that blossomed at Jon’s over enthusiastic grin from the compliment. Then their next interview was brought in and they started the process again. The evening moved slowly, but by the time that he heard the swoosh and pull of the Stargate activating and Colonel Sheppard’s voice on his comm link, Tony had a fair view of what he thought had happened.

He didn’t think Dunn was the killer. The man had broken down crying during questioning, but it didn’t strike Tony as remorse except for perhaps not realizing the love he had for the now dead doctor. Tony was once again struck by how much you could love a person even when they weren’t a perfect fit for you. It made him want to see Alex tonight. Still, he didn’t discard Dunn completely as a suspect. The man could just be a very good actor.

The one thing he was sure of was that most, if not all, of the marines were protecting the killer. They knew something that the scientists didn’t.

\---

Colonel Sheppard and Dr. McKay entered the tent and Tony sent Jon for more chairs. The two men slumped down in them and Tony knew they were as tired as he was.

“The gun was definitely one of the standard weapons that we use, but this one was not registered to anybody and there were no fingerprints,” Dr. McKay said quietly.

“More than likely it was snitched as a backup weapon that couldn't be traced back to our killer. I don’t like that. It seems premeditated. What about the files?” Tony asked just as quiet. He raised an eyebrow as the couple shared a look.

Colonel Sheppard started slowly, “I read through them. I know you’re going to want to see the personnel files yourself, but the main thing that jumped out was a notation on Davis’s record from Dr. Heightmeyer about him being unfit for duty. He was slated to return to Earth as soon as a replacement of suitable standard could be found.”

Tony leaned back in the chair as he processed that. He had a bad feeling in his gut, but logically knew that he needed to be back at Atlantis before he could explore it any further.

“Alright, I’m going to tell my men to pack it and head home. Did you bring anybody else with you?”

“I brought enough men along with Teyla and Ronan to watch and make sure no one goes missing,” Sheppard answered and smiled reassuringly at Tony when he let out a sigh of thankfulness.

Sheppard’s voice dipped down into a soft, soothing tone as he stepped out of his position of Colonel and into Tony’s friend for a moment, “Alex is waiting at the gate room, Tony. I know you’re determined and want to figure this out, but I’m going to have men on all of them and you need to rest. When we get back you are to go with Alex without balking.”

Tony sighed as he listened to the man. Rodney nodded his head in agreement. Tony relented but muttered, “It’s not like I’d argue with my Dom anyways.”

John and Rodney chuckled together before Rodney remarked, “Oh, I think you’d give him a hard time just for a spanking.”

This time Tony blushed bright red. He was growing accustomed to Atlantis’s lifestyle, but it still took him by surprise at the casual mention of things considered kinky and strange at home.

“Alright, alright. I get the point,” he finally murmured before raising his voice to yell at his boys to pack it up. They snapped to attention and everybody was smoothly herded to the gate. The swiftness and neatness of the entire movement made Tony smile to himself. If Gibbs had taught him anything, he had taught Tony how to use his voice to get people off their asses and moving.

The trip back came off without a hitch and Dr. Weir was waiting with Alex in the gate room. Alex was still dressed in his BDU’s and Tony knew that he had probably been called back from whatever he’d been doing off-world. Tony smiled at him, and Alex reached out an arm and pulled him into a warm embrace, kissing him tenderly on the temple. Tony leaned into Alex and watched as the marines and civilians were hustled off to their quarters with military escorts and guards. Tony gave a brief overview of what was going on to Dr. Weir and tried not to let on how exhausted he was.

“You look worn out,” Alex murmured into his ear and Tony sighed as his Dom saw right through his disguise.

“Mmm hmm.”

“Want some food?”

“Mmm hmm.”

“Come on, let’s go.” Alex stepped back, but kept an arm around Tony’s shoulder and pulled him towards the exit. Sharpe, Martinez, and Johnson waved good night and Tony gave a nod back in farewell. He tried not to snort when Martinez waggled his eyebrows at him in a suggestive manner.

“Where are we going? To the mess hall?” Tony asked.

“No,” Alex leaned in closer, “Someplace more private. I’m going to take you down boy,” he whispered. Tony shuddered and closed his eyes.

“You’ve got a tough front, you know,” Alex told him as they walked towards his Dom’s quarters.

“Really? Everyone seems to think I’m upset,” Tony answered irritably.

“You _are_ upset,” was the wry answer.

“Yeah I am. Fucking waste of life. It’s so stupid, why do people do this?” Tony felt himself start to break.

“You tell me, investigator.”

“Because someone got mad. Or upset. Vindictive. Though pretty often it’s about money,” Tony sighed in relief as they reached their destination.

Alex chuckled sardonically. “Is it always that way?”

“Yeah, only, sometimes there’s justification. It’s still not right, but at least when someone murders for revenge because some asshole raped their wife or killed their family I don’t feel as though the entire thing is worthless,” Tony watched the lights of Atlantis spring to life around them before finishing, “And sometimes, it’s just an accident. Those are the cases that make me feel most helpless.”

Alex had nothing to say to that, just squeezed his arm around Tony, as they walked inside slowly. Alex didn’t waste any time and pushed Tony towards the bed.

“Strip,” Alex’s voice was steady and Tony complied, folding his clothes and placing them in a chair.

Tony felt Alex tracking his progress with his eyes. The intense heat that sizzled between the two of them was as overwhelming as it had been the first time Alex had taken Tony to bed. And Tony desperately needed it tonight. When he was naked he glanced down and grimaced at the grime and grit that was still present on his body. One whiff told him how bad he smelled.

“Shower,” Alex ordered quietly. Tony gave him a grateful smile and practically ran into the smaller offshoot of Alex’s bedroom. He felt Alex come in behind him and felt his Dom’s fingers ghost over his back and ass. Then Alex was turning the water on full blast and checking the temperature. Alex didn’t give Tony a verbal order to get in, but smacked his ass one good time and then prodded him into the cubicle.

Tony sighed in happiness at the warm water and leaned back onto Alex’s chest as his Dom’s arms encircled him.

“I’m going to bring you down hard tonight, boy. That’s what you need,” Alex’s voice was as undefiable as always and Tony gave a happy murmur as he felt the tension slowly begin to bleed out of his body.

Alex always gave him what he needed. Tony wished they were bonded. It was getting harder to watch the bonded couples of Atlantis move as if one entity. Tony was terrified that Alex was going to bond and leave him alone.

Tony suddenly felt himself twirled and pressed against the wall. Alex landed several hard spanks to his ass that stung under the hot water.

“Is this how you thank me for giving you what you need, Tony? By worrying instead of giving yourself over to me?” Alex’s voice wasn’t angry, it was only sensible, and Tony whimpered as he realized his Dom was right.

“I’m sorry, sir,” he hoarsely whispered and concentrated on blanking his mind to only concentrate on what his Dom instructed.

“Shh, shh, it’s okay,” Alex immediately soothed him and pushed him back under the water. Tony felt Alex’s hand start to move over his body, one hand cupping the soap and the other running a wash cloth over the soapy trail. The familiar smell of Dial soap from Earth tickled Tony’s nose and he smiled as he noticed that Alex was using his soap instead of Tony’s.

He only did that when he thought Tony was going to need lingering reminders of their night, more than just the slight pain of a worn and marked body. Alex had learned early on that Tony’s senses, eyesight and smell especially were above par, and had used the knowledge to create a comfort scene that would leave Tony balanced for longer than a few hours. The light tang of the soap for scent when he breathed deeply trying to calm his nerves and Tony knew Alex would find some way to mark him good enough to work for sight and touch.

Tony moaned as Alex’s hands came up to his hair and started kneading into the matted mess. Tony felt himself being pulled backwards again and he leaned his head back over Alex’s shoulder as his Dom turned his head to kiss him as the water washed away the soap.

“May I wash you,” Tony murmured as Alex pulled back.

“Of course,” Alex answered and stepped back into the water to give Tony access.

Tony took his time, taking comfort in the feel of his Dom’s muscles and skin underneath his fingers. When he’d finished by scrubbing into Alex’s short hair and massaging all the hot spots he knew turned his Dom to jello, Alex shut off the water and helped Tony out of the bathroom.

“Clean yourself out and shave,” Alex paused and ran a hand over the sparse pubic hair that had begun growing back around Tony’s nether regions, “Then come into the bedroom. I’m going to make something for us to eat,” Alex murmured as he dried Tony off, hanging up the towel before leaving Tony alone to take care of business.

Tony listened as Alex moved around the bedroom, the sound of the toaster dinging, and the sound of Alex rummaging through the toy box. He heard the chains being linked into the ceiling and Tony shivered with anticipation. He loved when Alex put him into tight bondage and the chain meant suspension.

He came out of the bathroom slowly, after rubbing his body down with a eucalyptus/menthol oil to make his skin glisten and tingle a little. It would make the marks Alex put on his body more prominent and the cooling sensation always racketed up the sensation into a more intense feeling. He couldn’t wait to see what Alex laid into him with. Part of him hoped Alex would just used the palm of his hand because he liked the intimacy. Another part hoped for the flogger because of how long Alex could work him over. Or the whip because it stinged heavily and Tony loved the feeling of the whip cracking over his body time and time again as he built up a sweat and the endorphins sent him swimming into headspace.

As he surveyed the room, Tony froze at the sight of Alex’s wooden cane laying seemingly innocent on the bed. Tony stared at it quietly for a moment before Alex drew his attention to the plate of toast he’d just made. Alex indicated for Tony to kneel in front of him and began feeding both of them with alternating bites. Sharing a plate was something they only did in private, because Alex didn’t feel that Tony was truly ready for the amount of submission it would take for him to do it publicly. Tony tried not to think too heavily about what Alex was planning.

The cane. Tony knew he wasn’t in trouble. The cane was normally used for medium transgressions against policy on Atlantis as it was extremely painful and left bright and sore reminders. Tony had learned early on that his Dom was highly talented and qualified with all sorts of spanking and marking instruments. He’d shown a key interest in learning what all of them felt like when wielded by Alex. Alex hadn’t minded the exploration one bit. The cane was the one thing that was always off limits. Tony hadn’t even been allowed to touch it.

Tony still remembered the first time he’d disobeyed and curiously picked up the cane. Alex had always told him that it wasn’t something he needed to be familiar with unless he got in trouble, but it had intrigued him since day one. It was one of the few things he had never had used on him before, but he’d seen the red welts such an object could raise.

It had been in an opened glass case set up in the corner above Alex’s toy chest. He had been drawn to it...

_Tony lifted it out of the box with curiosity. His fingers traveled over the length and his body tightened in response as he felt how hard it was and when he gave a few swishes, Tony knew that it would have no give. He knew he was being naughty but the glass case was open and so easily accessible._

_Tony turned it over and marveled at the flawless cut of the wood, sanded down to be smooth and shiny. He wondered if Gibbs could make something so beautiful._

_This was a tool that was meant for leaving marks or causing a great deal of pain._

_Tony was still holding it, enraptured really, when Alex pulled the cane out of his hands, catching him red handed, and immediately laid Tony over the chair and caned his ass and thighs with four strokes that were perfectly spaced. Tony couldn’t help the scream that escaped at the sudden pain and his body jerked uncontrollably. Alex held him down firmly though and Tony took what his Dom gave. Alex tossed the cane on the bed and rested his head on the top of Tony’s back, breathing heavily as his sub trembled underneath him. When Alex pulled back and turned Tony to face him his expression had been thunderous._

_“I told you to not worry about this, Tony. The cane is used strictly for marking or punishment here. It’s not an item for play,” Alex snapped. Tony stared bewildered at his Dom. He knew the item wasn’t for play, but how could it only be for chastisement when he was soaring in endorphins and completely owned and claimed by the man before him._

Tony had apologized but not felt sorry as the marks had been burning deliciously. Alex picked up on his feelings fairly quick and Tony remembered watching as the anger seeped off his Dom’s face and a curious musing look had appeared in replacement. He’d then been pulled over Alex’s lap and his ass had been spanked thoroughly in between the lashes for lying. Tony hadn’t sat down comfortably for days, but he felt more loved than he had in a long time.

He looked at the bed now as Alex fed him another piece of toast and he couldn’t take his eyes off the cane.

“Since it’s obvious you’re not going to pay any attention until I tell you...look up at me boy,” Alex’s voice held the quiet authority he used when falling completely into Dominant mode. “I’m going to give you three lashes on the front of your thighs. That shouldn’t impede you from any part of your job or sitting down, but the sting will stay constant tomorrow and probably for a few days to come. I want you to remember who you belong to and I’m going to give you as many reminders as possible,” Alex finished and Tony could barely stay still as the excitement washed over him and left him keyed up in anticipation.

Alex wiped his hands on a napkin and then wiped the crumbs from Tony’s mouth. Tony stuck his tongue out to lap at Alex’s fingers playfully as he cleaned Tony’s face. Alex chuckled and tossed the napkin in the trash and then stood up. Tony stayed kneeling and felt as Alex placed a hand on his head and tangled his fingers into Tony’s hair. He pulled Tony’s head back and leaned over to take a kiss. Tony moaned as Alex’s tongue pushed into his mouth and ran over his teeth before pulling out so Alex could suck Tony’s bottom lip in between his teeth and bite down gently.

Alex pulled Tony to his feet by his hair, his mouth never letting go of Tony’s, and walked them backwards to the bed. Tony couldn’t help but squirm his naked body against Alex’s clothed one. He loved the feeling of being naked and vulnerable against a clothed top. Tony felt the back of his legs hit the bed as he squirmed and he lost balance and fell back onto the mattress. Tony grunted as he bounced one good time when he hit the bed. Alex loomed over him, eyes dark and lusty.

Alex chuckled, “Such a beautiful boy,” his Dom murmured as he crawled onto the bed and on top of Tony. Tony whimpered as Alex’s fingers ghosted over his body, stopping to tickle at his sides for a moment, before grasping Tony's hard on and giving a couple hard tugs. Then Alex scraped his nails down Tony's erection and then over Tony’s balls where he finished up by grasping them and squeezing tight. Tony yelled out as the pain washed over him. He trembled as Alex let go and came up to his nipples. His fingers pulled and pinched Tony’s nipples to sharp points and only let go long enough to swipe something off the bedside table. Tony didn’t take long to realize Alex had grabbed the jeweled nipple clamps. He barely had time to suck in a breath before Alex had attached both of them and they were clamped in place tightly. Tony took several deep breaths and felt himself start to sink down into oblivion.

“There you go, Tony, that’s a good boy,” Alex’s voice was sharp and clear while everything else seemed non-existent.

Tony felt the bed shift as Alex moved away and he bit his lips to keep from crying out to his Dom. He needn’t have worried though because only moments later he felt his wrists being tugged above his head and secured into the manacles dangling from the ceiling. They were padded with a thin bit of leather, but not enough to keep from leaving marks and allowing the wearer to feel them avidly. Then Tony’s ankles were attached to their normal leather restraints at the bottom of the bed. The entire thing left Tony’s upper body pulled up and suspended with his arms in the air and then his ass and legs pulled tight on the bed. It was a position that Alex would not leave him in long, as he was completely immobile and the strain would eventually hurt his back. It was, however, perfect for marking his thighs.

He couldn't move. Tony fell even deeper into his subspace. When he felt Alex kiss his forehead and whisper for him not to tense up, Tony obeyed completely without having to concentrate on the order. His body simply did as it was told.

Tony vaguely heard the sound of the cane whistling and then it was making contact with both of his thighs, right below his groin. Shock, then burning. So instantaneous Tony didn’t even whimper. The welts rose almost immediately and Tony relished the way it stung - moaning. Then he was rewarded even further as the second lash landed a couple inches below the first. He panted, his head light like he was floating. Finally the third lash landed and Tony was completely gone. He was so high off the endorphins that he barely felt Alex unlocking his hands and rubbing the irritated area for a brief moment before letting them fall onto the bed along with Tony’s upper body.

Completely submissive and pliant, Tony felt his ankles released as well, but only long enough for Alex to attach them to the ceiling restraints so that his lower body was now suspended enough for Alex to have easy access to his ass. Tony moaned and laughed deliriously as Alex’s fingers lightly rubbed over his puckered hole for just a second, a teasing touch, before traveling up over his groin and then over to his thighs where he lightly brushed the lashes. Tony cried out at the brief pressure added to the already stinging lesions.

Alex chuckled as Tony’s cry turned into a moan of arousal. Alex fingers were then at his hole again and pushing against the puckered entrance lightly. Tony rotated his hips, trying to get Alex to slip in, but was rewarded with another chuckle and a smack on his ass for fidgeting. He gave a whine, but was soon rewarded by the sound of the lubricant being popped open and Alex’s long fingers back where he wanted them. Tony didn’t even have to relax as he felt completely boneless already and when Alex’s fingers slipped in they only stretched him for a few moments before being replaced by Alex’s cock.

Alex wasted no time as he pushed in to the hilt and set a slow, teasing pace. Tony whimpered as his body rocked in suspension as Alex glided in and out of him. Alex answered him with his own low moan and Tony squeezed down as Alex picked up the speed. Tony felt his senses overpowering him as Alex began to fuck him hard and his Dom reached down and wrapped his hand around Tony’s erection.

Alex gripped the swollen cock so tightly that Tony cried out in pain, and squirmed, but there was no place to get away, hanging in the air as he was. Alex thrust harder and harder, his balls slapping against Tony’s ass, the friction of his thick cock rubbing Tony’s insides tortuously over and over. Tony squeezed his ass, the only motion he could do, and Alex groaned at the sensation.

“Come,” Alex ordered quietly and Tony did, his body giving into its demands and spilling over into Alex’s hand and his ass trembling and contracting around the cock inside of it. Alex fell over the edge with one more thrust and grunt and Tony felt the hot splashes of come shooting deep inside of him. He hung, trembling for a moment, then Alex was unhooking the restraints and they were collapsing against the bed, Tony’s back and ass pressed up against his Dom’s, cock softening inside of him.

“Sleep now Tony. I’ll wake you in a little while to clean up and treat your lashes,” Alex murmured and Tony let himself fall into a deep, dreamless sleep.

\---

In the morning, Tony blinked his eyes blearily to look at his clock. He stretched lazily as he realized he still had twenty minutes. He pulled himself from bed, peed an ocean worth, and then made his way to the mini-fridge they kept in Alex’s room. Tony had asked Alex if he wanted to move into Tony’s allotted quarters, since it had a kitchen, sitting room, and bedroom, but Alex wanted to stay quartered close to his men and Tony could understand the sentiment.

He poured his bowl of cereal, grinning at the sugary bran he knew Alex had procured just for him. Still barely awake he ate slowly, cautious to make sure the spoon went in his mouth, not his nose, and tried to read the personnel files as his body and mind tried to wake up fully.

His body felt delicious and sore and he was still floating slightly in subspace.

He was still mostly asleep and out of it when the alarm rang, but the noise was like a trigger and he felt himself start to swim upward and back to business. He finished his cereal in a greedy rush, then ran back to the bathroom to splash his face and noticed a goodbye note from Alex. He yanked it off the mirror after he wiped water off his face and read it as he pulled out his basic uniform. Gray pants and gray shirt of the civilian standard went on and then finally his socks and shoes. He strapped on his comm-link and then his sidearm. Giving one last glance at his reflection, Tony decided he looked more put together than he had the evening before, even if his gut told him that something was terribly wrong and he was only getting half of the picture.

Tony headed to his office, knowing that his team would be there waiting for him, and was halfway there when Alex sidled up to him.

“I thought you were off world already?” Tony asked surprised.

Alex shook his head and Tony knew something was wrong.

“We were heading to meet SGA-15, but received a call that they were going to revisit one of their dig sites to make sure they had the right specs for the anthro department here. They won’t be returning back to the pickup site till this evening and we’ll fly in and get them in,” Alex answered.

“Is there something wrong with that?” Tony questioned after a moment.

Alex hesitated before answering, “Not normally, no, but SGA-15 had already called in to say they had everything triple checked. Something doesn’t seem right, but we won’t find out what until this evening,” Alex sighed.

Tony nodded as they turned the corner to his office. Alex brushed a kiss across his lips and headed off to take care of whatever else he had on his agenda. Tony sighed and brushed a hand across his thighs and shuddered at the slight sting that washed over his body. Then he braced himself and headed into his office to get down to work.

He was a bit surprised to see Dr. Heightmeyer sitting in one of his chairs waiting patiently for him.

“Hello, Tony,” she greeted him with a sweet, but sad smile.

Tony returned the greeting with trepidation.

“Kate, I wish that I didn’t have an idea of what you’re doing here, but I have an inkling,” Tony replied.

Dr. Heightmeyer took his response as a reason to immediately begin, “I’m sure you noticed the notation in Davis’s file about him being unfit for duty. I’ve been seeing the man since his last team was slaughtered before his eyes. There were two teams that this happened to, Davis and Saronti were the only ones from either team to survive. Nicholas Saronti seems to be doing well, aside from a bit of depression, but Davis has been showing signs of a psychotic break. I recommended him for rotating back to Earth, but they decided to wait and send him on the Daudalus’s next voyage.”

There was a knock to the door and Corporal Jonathan Sharpe stuck his head inside. Tony shook his head at Jon to refuse the visitor, but Jon tried to explain.

“It’s Dunn, sir, and he says he has to tell you something,” Jon replied. Jon seemed fidgety, like he wanted to say 'You need to look at this now sir'.

Behind Jon was Dunn. “Special Agent DiNozzo,” Dunn’s voice was incredibly small and Tony immediately knew the man was here to confess something.

“If you’ll excuse us for one moment, Kate,” Tony politely inclined his head to Dr. Heightmeyer. She nodded and slid out of her chair to step outside of the office. Tony waved Dunn into the chair and the man slumped down with his shoulders hunched in a defeated posture.

The first words out of Dunn’s mouth almost made Tony’s jaw drop though.

“It’s my fault. I killed him.”

Gone was the arrogance and surliness of the day before and in its place Tony sensed extreme sorrow. Tony cursed to himself for assuming that Davis was the killer. Or was Dunn lying?

“Just tell me what happened, Master Sergeant,” Tony kept his voice low and soothing, pushing back the angry churning in his gut.

“Keith and I… we were lovers. Going on three months now, but we got in a row yesterday about telling the team and making it official. Keith wanted to wait, said he wasn’t sure our dynamic was a fit since we hadn’t bonded. I hate that god damn bonding!” Dunn’s voice rose for a moment, before he took a deep breath and continued. “I usually stay with him, Agent DiNozzo; I never leave him alone on a dig. Keith has issues about enclosed spaces. I was just so damn angry and I walked out,” Dunn closed his eyes as if remembering. Tony wondered how this led to the man killing his lover. It sounded like he’d walked away at this point, not took a gun and shot him.

“When did you go back?” Tony prodded. Dunn’s head shot back up and confusion was lit in his eyes.

“Not till I heard the gunshot, Agent DiNozzo, by the time I got back he’d already shot Keith. I should have said something immediately, but I was so damn confused. He didn’t mean too, Keith startled him and he thought that Keith was the enemy. I think he’s been lost in his mind for awhile now,” Dunn went on and Tony stood immediately.

“Who was it?” Tony barely got out before Sheppard voice came over his comm-link.

“Tony, get to the east docks, now!”

"Sharpe! Watch Dunn!" Tony didn’t spare a minute; he rushed out the door and took off towards the location. He made it in record time and was about to burst out onto the area when Alex was suddenly in front of him and holding him back.

“Let me through, damn it, Alex! Sheppard called me!” Tony hollered.

“I know, Tony, I told him too. One of my men was watching your man, Davis,” Alex quietly told Tony.

Tony looked at his Dom in confusion. What did that have to do with anything?

“Davis made it past the guards, Tony. We still don’t know how. When they realized he wasn’t in his quarters anymore, they called me. It’s their usual SOP, Tony; it wasn’t a slight to you. They’re just used to me being in charge,” Alex continued, “Davis is dead, Tony. He hung himself from one of the rafters.”

Tony froze in his Dom’s arms as the words reverberated through his mind. He pushed past Alex’s arms and walked around the corner to where the east dock opened up into a gigantic cargo bay. There, hanging from the rafters by just a bit of rope, was the body of Sergeant Davis. Backing away, Tony clutched at his stomach.

“DAMN IT! I knew it! My gut told me it was Davis, but I ignored it. I should have arrested him already, this is my fault,” Tony began yelling, but ended whispering. Alex was in his face instantly.

“Don’t be stupid, Tony. You had no way of stopping this. The man wanted to die and he found a way to do it. Now we just need to find out why,” Alex tried to soothe Tony.

A voice behind them broke in. They both turned to Dr. Heightmeyer.

“I think I can shed some light. Maybe not on how, but probably on why,” Kate seemed saddened, but Tony didn’t miss the underlying anger under her words.

They all turned to Sheppard as he came in from the dock.

“Has anyone told Elizabeth?” the man rasped.

Dr. Heightmeyer glared at him and Tony watched in confusion as she turned and spun away with a terse, “I told both of you months ago.”

Tony and Alex shared a look as Sheppard seemed to crumble in on himself, “I know.”

\---

Tony sat across from the psychologist with a look of disbelief on his face.

“How long ago did you recommend Davis be sent home?” he choked out.

Dr. Heightmeyer sighed and looked him dead in the eye before answering, “Many months ago. When Sergeant Davis survived the attack on his team. Everyone else was slaughtered and he had severe PTSD from the ordeal. The attack wasn’t random either, but that’s not the point. Sergeant Davis became skittish and constantly was looking over his shoulder. He should have been rotated back to Earth through the gate and not put on a waiting list to be shipped back via ship.”

Tony listened intently and felt anger growing inside of him with each of her words. If she’d been listened to then Davis would have been sent back to Earth and would be having the help he needed instead of lying on a cold slab after being cut down from a noose. Tony wouldn’t have four marines to be charged with withholding evidence, and Keith Holloway would be alive. It would be up to the Military Tribunal to decide the marines' fates, but Tony had made notations about their motives. He also wouldn’t be feeling the intense wash of guilt at missing the big picture. Elaine had told him her suspicions about Davis, Jon had instinctively suspected the man, and Tony had also felt his gut pulling him in that direction. He’d ignored what Gibbs had taught him foremost of all and that was killing him inside.

“Thank you for letting me know, Kate. I’ll make sure that the message is received loud and clear about future referrals,” Tony told the woman as he stood up stiffly. Dr. Heightmeyer thanked him and Tony took the chance to get a good look at her.

Thinking that this qualified as one of the clauses in Alex and his contract about touching another dom or switch, Tony stepped around the desk to pull the woman into a loose embrace. She started to cry lightly and rested her forehead on Tony’s shoulder when he comfortingly stroked the back of her hair.

“This is not your fault, Kate, do you hear me? It is not your fault,” Tony emphatically stated. Dr. Heightmeyer pulled back slightly to look him in the eye.

“It’s not your fault either, Tony,” she sniffled. Tony sighed and nodded, trying to project as much belief as he could. Her eyes narrowed but she didn’t say anything.

“Is there anyone you can go stay with tonight?” Tony gently asked and started running through a list of subs that would care for the doctor, but not take advantage.

“I’ve been seeing a lovely sub from Dr. McKay’s department, Dr. Kusanagi, and she’s already called me to let me know that she would be waiting in my quarters,” Kate gave a slight wry smile at the mention of the bossy sub she’d started to already care for.

Tony couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped at her words, “Miko’s a sweet girl, but she’s a damn stubborn sub and she expects her Dom to be up to par,” he teased. Dr. Heightmeyer blushed, but then Tony got a glimpse of her inner Dom as she stepped back and prodded him towards the door.

“Thank you for the comfort, Tony, but if you stay any longer Alex might be hunting me down instead of those barbarians who attacked our teams,” Kate chided.

“Barbarians?” Tony raised an eyebrow at the first hint he got of what Alex had been up too.

“There’s been a lot of off world attacks. Something is attacking our troops.” She explained.

That may have been part of the reason why Sheppard and McKay had insisted in accompanying Tony’s team to PX 491 when the murder of Dr. Holloway was first reported. The Colonel had probably only called Tony in after checking for alien violence first. Tony had not realized Atlantis was still actively fighting other alien races. He definitely didn’t know Alex was in on it. He sighed as he realized that he had never questioned his Dom on his assignments, besides those that directly crossed with his. Alex, on the other hand, knew everything about Tony’s cases, often giving insight about the crew.

The doctor seemed to read his mind as she spoke to him as they walked out of her office together, “He’s your Dom, Tony, and it’s his job to be aware of things in your life. He probably keeps his out of the bedroom because he prefers the office to stay at the office. Military Doms are like that.”

Tony mused that and nodded in agreement, “I guess I’m still getting used to the whole being taken care of thing,” he answered.

“It takes getting used to. Now, I need to hustle before Miko starts looking for me on her own. I’d hate to see what she can do with hot oil besides great massages,” Dr. Heightmeyer teased as she turned off to head towards the civilian quarters.

Tony gave a wave goodbye before squaring his shoulders back and putting on his game face. He quickened his pace and gave over to the fury that had started building since Kate had told him about her diagnosis of Davis. Walking into the Gate Room, he ignored the people around him, and started up the stairs rapidly.

By the time he reached Dr. Weir’s office Tony was trembling. He couldn’t even think of the woman he considered a friend by her first name right now, and Colonel Sheppard was not much better off. He was furious at the way his murder-suicide could have been prevented. His earlier compassion for Sheppard’s feelings when the man had seemed so defeated was completely gone with what he’d just learned.

Ignoring the assistant’s yelping that he needed to wait, Tony bust into the office where both of the expedition leaders were sitting with desolate looks on their faces. They both looked up startled at the abrupt entrance, but not really shocked to see him.

“If I could have you both up on charges I would,” he snarled and watched as none of the sorrow changed in either of their faces. Good, he thought to himself cruelly.

“You had a chance to prevent this. If you had sent that man home like you had been told, then we would have two people still alive, and a whole of team of marines wouldn’t have ruined their careers trying to cover for one of their own.”

“I’m resigning,” was the first words out of Elizabeth’s mouth and Sheppard was nodding his head as well.

Tony blinked in surprise before feeling another burst of anger wash over him.

“You’re both going to run away? So some new idiots can come in and let the same things happen? Hell no, both of you needs to stay and clean up this mess that you could have prevented.”

The words seemed to stir something in Sheppard because the man quickly shot back, “You think we don’t know that? We were at war for so long that it almost daily reports crossed our desk that someone had problems, but it was determined by the IA that they were better off here and working through them than at home,” Sheppard’s voice cracked at the end before Dr. Weir took over.

“We should have insisted harder that things change when the Wraith were finally defeated, but things happen so quickly out here and neither of us were aware of how bad Davis was off. Tony, we know we should have listened to Dr. Heightmeyer more, but we can’t change the fact that we didn’t. We can only move on and hope that our replacements…” Dr. Weir stuttered and Tony took the pause to break in again.

“I repeat, YOU ARE BOTH NOT LEAVING. Yes, I’m pissed at both of you, but it's your responsibility to fix this! And Davis had a new team that should have spoken up. Dr. Keller was his attending physician and she noted insomnia and irritability in his files. Hell, even the kitchen crew filed a complaint against him for anger issues,” the fury finally seeped out of Tony and he slid into the closest empty chair. He put his head down into his hands and sighed heavily.

“I should have followed my instincts to begin with,” he murmured before clearing his voice and talking louder, “Please, don’t go. Atlantis needs both of you and we need Dr. McKay.”

Tony looked at Sheppard and the man had the grace to flush guiltily. They both knew if Sheppard left that McKay was going with him. They were bonded and the pain from bonding separation was excruciating. Tony didn’t even want to think about how it would feel across galaxies. Probably instantaneous death.

“Oh, we’re not leaving,” McKay’s voice sounded from the door. The scientist glared at Tony, but Tony refused to back down. He was right to be angry, but he also knew that he was right in his words about the expedition leaders staying in charge.

“John, we’re going to our quarters. We can all discuss this more tomorrow,” Dr. McKay’s voice was as abrupt as always and Tony watched as Sheppard met his sub’s gaze and gave a slight nod before rising to meet the man at the door.

“Elizabeth, I assume that you will be attended tonight. Your sub will be returning from off world?” Dr. McKay spoke again as he gave a slight push to his Dom’s back, prompting him out into the hall.

Dr. Weir nodded and Tony gratefully sighed. Another person he didn’t have to make sure was handled for the night. Regardless of his anger, these people were his friends. Still, he was shocked when Rodney turned his attention to him.

“Tony, where’s Alex?” the man’s voice held none of its previous ire and was actually soft for the usually rude scientist.

Tony looked up and saw that the other sub’s eyes were now filled with understanding. He should have known that if anyone understood the overwhelming emotion inside of him it would be the man that had dealt with life and death situations that centered on entire planets.

“Waiting for me in his quarters,” Tony answered quietly and Rodney nodded and started to speak, but Dr. Weir broke in.

“Then I suggest I walk you there now Tony, and we can talk more in the morning,” her voice once again held a semblance of the authority she normally used. Tony felt his world start to center back into place. He barely managed a nod, before Elizabeth was up herself and pulling his hand into hers. Tony let himself be pulled out of the room and trailed after the three completely compliantly.

He barely registered when Rodney and John broke off and only subconsciously noticed that they reached Alex’s room and the door was swinging open. Alex was standing in the room, still in uniform, and looking anxious. Tony cringed as he realized that it had been hard on his Dom not to insist on being with him when he went to talk to Dr. Heightmeyer. Alex’s eyes narrowed as he immediately zoned into Tony’s hand clasped by Elizabeth’s and the woman released him immediately.

“Tony, go get ready for a shower,” Alex ordered brusquely, only a hint of irritation in it from the contact with another Dom, and Tony numbly obeyed. He was used to his Dom’s possessive ways. He vaguely heard the conversation outside of the bathroom.

“He was furious and we had a very serious conversation. We'll have more to talk about, but all of us are exhausted. He’s barely registering anything right now. I’ll rearrange my schedule tomorrow for whatever time he’s up to talking and if it’s not tomorrow then I’ll wait till he is ready. Just…I’m sorry, I hurt your sub badly by a decision from Internal Affairs that I should have fought,” Elizabeth’s voice was so heartbroken that Tony wanted to rush back out and reassure her that she could do no wrong.

Alex’s voice was calm and steady as always and immediately stilled Tony’s emotions and movements. “He’s got a huge heart, Ma’am. He’ll be okay once it’s had time to heal. Now, go to your sub and let me care for mine.”

Tony didn’t hear the rest of the conversation as he had finished stripping and had turned on the water. He’d just stepped into the hot spray when he felt Alex’s arms wrap tightly around him. The contact was all it took and Tony swirled around and broke down sobbing into his Dom’s arms. Everything from the last couple days that had been threatening to take him over finally broke through.

“Shh, I’ve got you, I’ve got you,” Alex whispered over and over again and Tony thought for the first time that night that everything was going to be okay.


	4. Part 3

Tony rolled over restlessly to look at Alex’s sleeping form again. When they first had begun their relationship, Alex would wake whenever Tony stirred and watched the soldier. Now, almost a year later, Alex was used to Tony’s sleeping habits and usually slept through his midnight viewings. He told Tony that it meant he trusted Tony completely and his body no longer sensed potential danger. Tony hadn’t been able to help the smile that those words had brought nor the warm feeling that had spread through him.

Usually Tony didn’t know the reasons behind his insomnia, but tonight he knew it was because of the argument and sequential spanking he’d gotten for disrespect. There had been more attacks on Atlantis teams and the circumstances were becoming more suspicious. The alien race attacking them knew where the teams were heading and were prepared to ambush the Atlantian soldiers. Mission Intel had been locked down, so that only Atlantis’s top brass and the team going on a mission would know when and where a mission would be. But this hadn’t stopped the unknown enemy’s uncanny ability to be there in waiting before the Atlantis soldiers even knew where they would be going. Dr. Weir and Colonel Sheppard suspected that there must be a traitor and spy on Atlantis and the spy had to be someone able to access all their mission plans and then erase their tracks.

The last team to be ambushed had lost everyone but one single scientist. He had barely made it back through the gate. The rest of his team were either murdered or captured. The scientist managed to I.D. one of the barbarians as a well known slave trader. And even in his grief, he had been able to tell that the slave trader was just along for the ride, as if he was there to purchase new merchandise. The other barbarians attacking them were unidentifiable. They were covered in heavy arm, with not even a glimpse or skin or scales shown. Atlantis had no idea who was attacking them.

The realization that there was a traitor gave Tony partial jurisdiction over the case and Tony threw himself into work. He tried everything he could think of to draw the traitor out. And he was getting nowhere.

“Gibbs would know what to do,” Tony had said in hopeless frustration earlier that night.

“Can you pull _him_ into the investigation?” Alex had asked thoughtlessly, frustrated from his own useless efforts in stopping the attacks. He had seen men and women who worked under him disappear, either dead or sold somewhere in the galaxy to die in captivity.

Tony had bristled and that started an argument that led to a bit of punishment. Honestly, the spanking had helped them both, and the fear and anxiety from the day had seeped out of their shoulders.

In his head, he knew that Alex was right and that he was going to need help in tracking down the traitor and the benefactor behind the attacks, but Tony’s heart couldn’t give in to allowing his old team to come to Atlantis. Atlantis was _his_. And he couldn’t face Gibbs or McGee or Ziva or Abby. Not after he left without even saying goodbye, not now that his sub side had become public, and not now when he was failing horribly. If he ever faced them again, he wanted it to be when he was brilliantly solving the biggest case of his career.

He’d told Alex that it was because he didn’t need their help, but now he recognized the real reason. He must have been staring hard because Alex’s eyes blinked open seconds after his thinking came to its conclusion.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” As usual Alex’s voice was reassuring and sexy, especially with the sleep laden huskiness.

“I’m afraid that Elizabeth and John and even General O’Neill will decide to keep Gibbs and send me home.” Tony admitted. “I just have cop qualifications, but Gibbs is like all knowing and Tim is a wiz with technology. Someone made a mistake by choosing me. They’ll realize how lousy I am and send me home,” Tony blabbered.

Alex’s eyes darkened considerably and Tony flinched. Alex rolled on top of him and trapped Tony’s wrists over his head.

“That’s the most idiotic thing you’ve ever said,” Alex murmured and leaned down to smash their lips together in a bruising kiss. “Just because you think that we’re going to abandon you doesn’t mean its true and you should know better. You belong here Tony, this is your home now and I would think after a year of being in my bed you would know that I am not letting you go.”

“Unless one of us bonds,” Tony answered despondently.

“Stop,” Alex ordered, “That’s my collar you’re wearing and even if the big guys sent you back to Earth, they’d have to take me too and that is certainly not happening.”

Tony sighed underneath him. It was impossible to stay upset when his Dom was above him and making him stay still with just the force of his will and a little pressure.

Alex was a natural Dom and almost held as much toppy attitude as Gibbs had. Thinking Gibbs’ name brought Tony back to reality though.

He sighed, “I’m in love with my ex-boss,” he blurted out before his brain could stop his mouth. He looked up expectantly and waited for Alex to blow up. Alex could be very laid back, but he had a possessive streak a mile wide.

However, Alex just smiled and chuckled.

“I know, Tony. Did you think that I didn’t ask around and find out as much about you as I could when we started sleeping together? I did. And you thought I’d just leave you hanging when I found out about your boss, didn’t you?” Alex told him quietly.

Tony flushed in embarrassment.

“But you’re here with me now, and that’s what matters to me. He never got to see you the ways I’ve seen you.” Tenderly, Alex leaned down and kissed Tony on the forehead. Tony closed his eyes as Alex kissed his cheek, his jaw, down his neck, and then lower.

\---

Tony felt the need to go to the gate room even before Dr. Weir called him. He didn’t know if it was Atlantis talking to him or what, but he felt himself practically running and when his comm-link beeped and Dr. Weir’s voice came on he was already barreling into the room. There was a team of medics and what looked to be about half of Alex’s team. He looked desperately for Alex, but the soldier wasn’t anywhere that Tony could see. The ball of frustration that had made home in his stomach ever since the attacks on their people had begun to disappear grew into sheer panic.

“Tony,” John was suddenly right there and wrapping an arm around him to keep him from slipping to the floor.

“Where’s Alex? Is he…did…” he choked up and couldn’t finish.

John sighed and Tony felt Elizabeth come up and then her fingers wrapped around his face and made him look at her.

“Slow down Tony, steady. The last anyone saw he was alive and chained. Probably to be taken to the slave traders. Our people are getting the word out now that he is among the missing and presumed alive. We’ll find him Tony, but to do that we have to find the traitor. I know it hurts, but I need you to focus,” her words were soft and Tony heard the compassion in her voice.

He nodded slowly and tried to steady his breathing. He was faced with the choice that had been plaguing him ever since the entire situation had gotten out of control. Alex had tried to talk to him about it, but Tony hadn’t wanted to listen. If Tony had taken care of this before, Alex might still be here and safe. Now he felt about two inches small and suddenly wanted to beg Elizabeth to punish him.

“We need my team from Earth. I need the help,” he said firmly, even as his voice hitched at the very end.

“Alright Tony, I’ll contact the SGC and get them here,” Elizabeth answered and then turned her head to John and indicated for him to take care of Tony, but all three members of Tony’s team stepped in. Martinez took Tony from Sheppard, and Sharpe turned to her.

“We’ve got the boss, ma’am. We’ll make sure he gets some rest and then we’ll be back and ready in eight hours.”

Elizabeth nodded thankfully. She was just grateful that someone would make sure the sub rested and was in as good a frame of mind as possible for when his old team arrived. She watched as they led the exhausted man from the gate room and then she headed up to send the orders. With any luck the NCIS group would be cleared and in Atlantis by morning.

She just prayed that when they did arrive that they could help and that when they left they didn’t take Tony with them. She gritted her teeth and promised herself that Atlantis would lose Tony over her dead body. She didn’t care about the threats that had been passed on to her for the past year by General O’Neill from Tony’s ex-boss. She didn’t really care if this Gibbs was as scary as all of her own private sources had passed down either. Tony belonged on Atlantis. It was his home.

\---

Tony’s team took him to his quarters.

“How is he?” Conner Jacobs asked as his Dom, Dylan Martinez slipped from the bedroom and into the main sitting area. Martinez came up behind his sub and pulled him close.

“Practically comatose from exhaustion. Wouldn’t go to sleep at first, but Jon laid down with him and now they’re curled up like a couple of puppies fast asleep,” Dylan murmured as he nuzzled his sub’s ear.

Conner chuckled and then yawned.

Dylan smiled at him affectionately and turned him around for a tender kiss.

“Go on and get some sleep yourself. I’ll take the couch. Just keep Tony feeling secure for awhile,” Dylan replied and then twirled Conner and smacked him on the ass as Conner walked into Tony’s room. The sub turned back and gave Dylan one of his blinding smiles in answer and Dylan smiled back before collapsing on the couch and placing his sidearm within easy reach. He was finding it hard to trust anyone at the moment and now Tony’s old team was coming. He’d be damned if they were going to swoop in and take Tony back.

He’d been part of Tony’s team since the third time Tony and Jon had gone off-world and almost gotten themselves barbequed by the locals. This team had become close and nobody was going to take away another family from him.

\---

Gibbs glared at the woman who’d walked into NCIS like she owned it. She was Air Force, he could tell by her uniform, and fairly high ranked from the look of her. She’d looked directly at him and narrowed her eyes as if deciding whether he was the person she was looking for. Then she’d walked passed him and up the stairs and had been waved into Vance’s office immediately.

His phone rang and he reached over and answered it with a terse, “Gibbs.”

“My office, now,” Vance’s voice was short and to the point.

Gibbs didn’t bother with a reply, just hung up and headed up the stairs.

For once Cynthia didn’t say anything as he opened the door and then slammed it shut. He wanted Vance to know how pissed he still was over Tony. The petite blonde turned and smiled, albeit briefly, at his abrupt entrance.

“You are Tony DiNozzo’s former boss?” she asked immediately.

Gibbs turned his attention to her fully.

“Yes, I _am_ his boss,” he replied stiffly. Vance and the intruding woman shared a look at Gibb’s possessive tone.

The woman continued, “I am Colonel Samantha Carter and I’m afraid I’m going to need your team and yourself to come with me immediately after debriefing.”

“The rest of your team has already been contacted and your active case is being passed on.” Vance explained.

Samantha Carter explained. “When we are done here you are to immediately go to your house with the officer I have assigned you and pack only essentials, enough for a few days. No information is to be discussed until you are all in my presence again. I need you to make sure your team understands this and obeys it to the letter. We are still not comfortable telling Ziva David classified information, but Tony assured us of her trustworthiness and our need to have her there as well. Is this understood?”

Gibbs stared hard at the woman before nodding sharply. About to question her about Tony, he heard Tim and Ziva enter, but was surprised when Abby and Ducky also followed.

“Special Agent DiNozzo explicitly stated that all of you were needed, not just the active field agents. You should be proud of your boy, Gibbs. He must be well respected to have that kind of influence,” Vance said around his toothpick. Gibbs leveled a glare at the man to make sure Vance realized that he was still pissed.

“Bossman, what’s going on? What happened to Tony? Have we found him?” Abby’s voice had an edge of frantic to it and Gibbs signed to her briefly.

_Calm down, Abby. I don’t know yet._

The goth girl nodded and he could see her taking deep breaths. Everyone else was quiet and waiting. Ducky rocked on his heels, and Ziva watched the colonel suspiciously. Tim was silent, but his gaze met Gibb’s poker face for a moment.

Gibbs said nothing and turned to meet Vance’s eyes smoothly and didn’t give anything away when the Director raised an eyebrow as if to say ‘How could you find DiNozzo if you were ordered not to look for him?’ In Gibbs mind, Vance knew damn well that he wasn’t going to follow that goddamn order.

Gibbs just hoped the Director was ready to have Tony back at NCIS headquarters, because he’d be damned if his boy was going to stay anywhere else on Earth besides with him. Gibbs didn’t care if he had to tie Tony to the bed and walk him around with a leash. Tony was his agent and he was going to be a hell of a lot more when Gibbs got his hands on him again.

“Before we do anything else, I need these signed,” Colonel Carter pulled papers out of a manila folder and sat them on the table.

Gibbs tilted his head to indicate everyone should sit. It took awhile to read them over, Tim being the most thorough, but as soon as Gibbs signed his papers everyone else flipped to the end and signed theirs. Colonel Carter looked on in a bemused manner.

“What I tell you is said in the strictest confidentiality and if ever spoken of, outside those already in the know, measures of the highest extreme will be taken. So, I’m going to tell you right now to listen and hear exactly what I am saying. The bare minimum will be given here and if you agree to this assignment then you will be escorted to your homes to pack only necessities, then you will be driven to another secure location to await transport. Am I understood?” Colonel Carter’s voice was loud and blunt and Gibbs immediately saw the commanding officer she was underneath her uniform. This was a woman that was used to being obeyed.

She told them about another galaxy. Abby and Tim’s jaws dropped, Ducky was astounded, and Gibb’s own version of confusion looked like he was blinking awake from a nap. Ziva especially was bewildered. “Are you really telling a former Mossad agent about this?” Was her second question, after initial declarations of impossibility.

“Yes, we are telling a former Mossad agent about this,” Carter parroted. “Take it as a compliment.”

“But it’s not possible for humans to travel to another galaxy,” Tim argued, fully understanding the scientific impossibility of it.

Abby jumped up, “With the fastest of our fastest rockets, it would take us almost 20,000 years just to get to the nearest star! And that’s at, like, 150,000 miles/hr, which I’m pretty sure might hurt a person, thoughwearerotatingaroundtheEarthat1042MPH…unless we had, like a little mini-Earth to hold on to…”

“What?” Ziva blinked in confusion.

“ **Abby** ,” Gibbs ordered. She snapped out of the factual spiral.

“But! There is _no_ way we could possibly travel to another galaxy! And, and even if you had some type of transporter or wormhole, you'd have to re-calibrate it every time because the distance between us and other galaxies is expanding right now, as we speak!”

Colonel Carter smiled, obviously impressed. “You’re right. With any contemporary technology, we wouldn’t be able to reach the edge of our own galaxy in a million years. Even if we could go light speed, it’d take 75,000 years to cross the Milky Way. So you understand why we are asking for the utmost confidentiality when we talk about the Pegasus Galaxy?”

Abby nodded enthusiastically. The others were less thrilled.

“But how?” Tim insisted.

“You’ll see.”

They were all hustled out and into cars that screamed _government_. Gibbs grabbed his pre-packed emergency bag, handled the business of closing down his house, locked the front door for the first time in years, and was back in the car in a second.

\---

Abigail Sciuto considered herself a very open minded girl. She had no problem believing in the supernatural, nor did she have any issue thinking of life out among the stars; however, finding out that her best friend had been out there for the last year was  _unbelievable_.

She wished she could settle on one emotion about the entire ordeal. Part of her was excited and couldn’t wait to find out what Tony had been up to. The other part of her was furious at him for leaving her behind when he’d been out exploring another galaxy while they, his family, had been home worrying.

The worst of all the emotions was the immense guilt that had been eating her up inside and the fear that maybe Tony hadn’t fought the order to leave because his family had taken him for granted.

With one last sigh she zipped her suitcase shut. They at least had been given armed escorts to each of their homes to pack a bag and take care of any other issues that came with being on a long term assignment. From what she’d seen at Tony’s desk and apartment, Tony had simply been whisked away without a chance to touch his old stuff. She cast a glance at the locked box she had retrieved from Tony’s apartment right after he left. Right before everything there had mysteriously vanished in twenty four hours.

Gathering her bag and the box she said one last goodbye to her apartment and closed the door behind her. The air force man waiting for her took her bag and led her silently to the awaiting car.

\---

Timothy McGee gritted his teeth in frustration as the young idiot who had been ordered to escort him home touched practically everything in his small living room. He bitterly wondered when the military had added snooping for no good reason to their training regimen.

“Do you mind not touching everything?” he finally snapped as he reached under his desk to retrieve his extra sidearm. A gun that Tony had bought him when he’d lost the probationary part of his agent status.

The man just raised an eyebrow, “Are you done yet, Mr. McGee?”

Tim bristled even more, “That is Special Agent McGee, Airman, and yes I’m ready now.”

The man simply nodded and turned to head outside. Tim followed and gave one last lingering look at the place he’d called home since working under Gibbs. It didn’t particularly hold a lot of special memories, besides his writing, but it had been a safe haven and it had been his. It didn’t matter anymore, though, and it hadn’t in awhile.

The entire team had been torn when Tony had vanished out of their lives. Tim still wasn’t sure if he was going to punch Tony or hug him when he finally saw him again, but Tim couldn’t help but be happy that the team was finally going to be how it should be once again.

\---

Ziva already had a bag packed and there was no reason to do anything about her apartment as she didn’t have a lot there to begin with. She went home though and sat on her bed while the airman discarded the contents of her refrigerator for her.

She stared off into space for a bit and thought about everything she had learned.

Tony and she had clashed in many ways ever since she came to NCIS. She was the interloper and she was taking Kate’s place. Ziva understood on a basic level how her presence had been a shock and a slap in the face to the team. Jenny had been kind enough to spell out the situation she was walking into. Still, even in his grief and anger, Tony had made her feel as if it would be alright eventually and she would be part of the team.

Then Rifkin and Africa and her rescue had rolled around. That entire diabolical plan had happened before she could find the words to apologize or to say thank you. After that Tony had vanished. Ziva had been angry with him at first for abandoning them. Didn’t he understand that Gibbs needed him to make sure the older man didn’t fall headfirst in a fury at every bad case they had? Or that McGee, while being a very good agent, still had so much to learn from Tony, even though they bickered as brothers. Didn’t he know that Ziva needed him to remind her that she was more than an assassin? Even Ducky and Abby needed him to be there for company and comfort. The entire team needed his out of the box thinking for many cases. Their solve rate had gone down since he left. Though she and Tim worked well together, extraordinarily well, it was not the same. Not at all.

It hit Ziva just as she wrote out a check for two month’s rent that her thoughts were exactly the problem. Tony didn’t know, because nobody ever bothered to let him know how valued he was.

The realization made Ziva want to hit something in frustration, at her and the rest of the team. Instead she just grabbed her bag, stuck the check under a cup on her table, and snapped at the airman to move it. When she saw Tony again she would make sure he understood everything and then she’d find a way to make things right.

\---

In one’s old age, a person began to believe they knew and understood all there was to discover in the world. But it was arrogance, a silly hubris very similar to the presumptions of youth.

Ducky smiled at himself, even as he marveled at the idea of entire civilizations living hundreds of thousands of light years away. Lives that were lived whether he, or anyone on Earth, was aware of them or not.

Strange, that they would be travelling to a place further away then the stars that twinkled above in the sky.

“Yes, it’s a very interesting place Dr. Mallard.” The Airman acknowledged politely. “But I have to ask you to stop talking about it while we’re off base. Are you ready?” The Airman looked frantically hopeful that Ducky was ready to leave.

“Oh, I’m so sorry, you’re very right, my boy. Let’s see, I’m packed now, aren’t I? I believe so. And just allow me another moment, I must call in and make sure that Mother’s neighbors will be able to look after her and the dogs.” The corgis were currently pawing at the Airman, who looked a bit helpless and overwhelmed amongst the hoard. He nodded enthusiastically, hoping Ducky would hurry.

He reminded Ducky of Tony, the way the man had helplessly taken on the stampede of dogs. He had put forth a valiant effort in the face of an overwhelming herd of licks and barks and wiggling tails. Defeat was of course imminent. The dogs would always have their way in the end.

He called the nurse to take care of Mother, and the neighborhood dog sitter to watch over the dogs, then checked his bags and pockets one last time, hoping he wasn’t missing anything.

He wondered if Tony would be changed when they saw him again. Or would he be the same man he had always been?

“Dr. Mallard, you have everything, right? Let’s get you going,” the Airman encouraged, detangling himself from two dogs that had made their home in his lap. Ducky acquiesced, and the two of them hurried out, pushing dogs through the door as they tried to escape.

“Back, back you beasts!” Ducky pushed a whimpering wet nose back behind the door, and then gently closed it.

\---

Gibbs arrived at the secure location only minutes before the rest of his team. They were all hustled into what looked like an abandoned warehouse where there were guards at every corner. Then Colonel Carter activated some sort of calling device and ordered them to transport everyone. Gibbs blinked when he felt a pulling sensation and when his eyes opened he found himself standing in front of an open window that looked out into what he assumed was space.

“Welcome back, Colonel Carter,” a man sitting at a control booth said. Several of the other people in the room saluted.

“Welcome to the George Hammond,” Colonel Carter said with a small smile as she watched his team, “We will be within the Stargate way station within the hour so please come and sit so I may fill you in on what is going on.”

Like at NCIS, her words washed over the group in frenzy, minds whirling at the blunt explanations of dynamics and lifestyles that they would be encountering, and left them all in a sudden whirlwind of culture shock. Luckily, no one seemed disturbed by the things revealed. In fact, Gibbs was beginning to suspect that his co-workers all identified with the lifestyle because of the easy way they took what was being told to them. Finally, Colonel Carter came to a halt and she asked if there were any questions.

Gibbs chuckled at the array of questions that were suddenly being flung all over the place, especially from Abby and Tim, but he couldn’t pay full attention. His mind was focused on Tony and getting to him. The situation had to be dire if Tony was asking for help. Gibbs had no illusions that Tony had asked for them just because he missed them. Something bad must have happened that Tony felt he couldn’t handle on his own, that a fresh set of eyes were needed.

“Alright, we’re out of time. Dr. Weir and Tony DiNozzo should be able to answer any other questions you have. On behalf of the United States, we are grateful for your help. Time to go,” Colonel Carter said after a while of answering questions. Gibbs gave a sharp nod to his team indicating for them to get up. They were deposited on a dusty, rocky planet in front of a large metal structure that had to be the Stargate. Colonel Carter walked over to another, smaller device and started to input something.

“When you step through the gate and come out on the other side Tony will be there to greet you along with Dr. Weir, the head of our expedition, and Colonel Sheppard who is head of military in the galaxy. Please give them all my best and we will see you on your return trip,” Colonel Carter said promptly as the gate swirled into action and suddenly a whirlpool leaped out of the center before settling back into the circular form of the gate.

Gibbs started for the gate, but Abby, Ducky, and Tim all jumped before him in their excitement. He couldn’t help but chuckle. He waved a hand in front of him for Ziva. She snapped out of her thoughts, and she bowed her head gracefully before heading into the gate directly before him.

“Special Agent Gibbs,” Carter’s replied before he stepped through.

He turned and raised an eyebrow at her.

“Tony is very special to the Atlantis crew and many of the inhabitants in Pegasus, so please be careful in how you treat him. He is having a very hard time right now and if you are harsh...well I’m not sure how close he is to his breaking point. He’s a beautiful sub and if I didn’t have my hands full with my own sub then I’d have tried to collar him myself,” Carter replied and Gibbs frowned, pushing back the jealousy that immediately flared up.

Carter chuckled though and gave him a knowing grin before she disappeared back to her ship. Gibbs sighed and turned around to view the Stargate and with one last breath he stepped up into it and vanished.

\---

Tony received the call that the gate had activated and the IDC of the Earth NCIS team had come through. He ran to the gate room, his team close behind, and tried to keep himself from pacing. The chevrons were slowly encoding and with each one locking in place he felt more anxious.

“Chevron five encoded,” Jackie’s voice rang out.

Tony closed his eyes and took a deep breath as he felt like he was flying apart at the seams. Things had escalated so fast after the death of Dr. Holloway and then Davis’s sequential suicide. They'd lost dozens of people, the situation had spiraled out of their control. Now Alex was gone, taken during a supposedly peaceful trade deal, and Tony was waiting for his old team to arrive on what had become his home.

The fact that there was a traitor on Atlantis had shocked everyone to the core and had everyone extremely upset. Ever since the defeat of the wraith, Atlantis and Pegasus had been a fairly peaceful place and the ensuing violence that had been wrought on them was putting undue pressure on everyone. It seemed that not one day had gone by since the first attack that someone was not murdered off world. The people and delegations that Atlantis had been meeting were all left alone and unhurt. The attacks were against the Earth people specifically.

The Genii were the first group that had been suspected, even though they had long since made peace with one another, but they had come up clean and were affronted by the idea of slavery, further showing innocence. There had been no leads after that and Tony was still going through psych profiles from Dr. Heightmeyer to try and find someone who had been in a situation to cause animosity towards his own people. It had to be someone that had met their attackers and had been among those people long enough to become swayed to a radical cause.

Tony hoped that his former team could help and that he would be able to keep himself together around Gibbs. The situation was forcing him to out himself as bisexual and into the lifestyle. If Alex was here to support him, he might feel better. But it was ten times worse now that Alex was gone. He should have just listened to Alex and called for their help before. If Alex died, he’d never be able to forgive himself.

The final chevron locked, Jackie’s monotone voice naming it, and the gate swirled into action. Tony made one of his old masks fall into place, one of the many masks he’d long quit using since coming to Atlantis, but he made himself stand at a fairly relaxed pose and watched the gate for their arrival.

“You doing okay there, Tony?” The quiet voice that had snuck up beside him caught him off guard and dragged his attention away from the whirlpool of blue.

“Yeah Jonathon, I’m just fucking fine,” he snapped. The Corporal’s blanched.

“Tony, stop,” Colonel Sheppard said tiredly and Tony felt himself calm a little at the order.

He gave Jonathon an apologetic shrug and the other man nodded in understanding and started to say something, but his attention was drawn to the gate and to the silver-haired man that had stepped through last.

“Damn,” Jon murmured and whistled appreciatively, then avoided looking at Tony’s annoyed side glance, before Tony’s attention turned fully to the hot Dom walking straight towards them.

Tensing up, Tony noticed that most of his old team hadn’t seen him yet. They had stopped in front of Elizabeth as she introduced herself. But Tony could see only Gibbs. The man had walked through the gate as if he’d done it a thousand times before and his eyes swept through the room searching. When Gibbs’ eyes fell on him, Tony wondered if it was too late to run and hide. Tony held back the whimper that threatened to escape. _He_ was in charge here and not Gibbs. Even though his heart and head were both screaming in defiance at that unnatural order.

Gibbs walked full forced straight towards him, bypassing Dr. Weir’s outstretched hand. Tony barely registered the arched eyebrow Elizabeth shot Gibbs as he ignored her. Tony was already flinching when Gibbs’ hand swept up behind his head and smacked him one good time. He wasn’t aware of Jon’s startled gasp or Dylan stepping forward aggressively as Gibbs opened his mouth to speak.

“What the hell were you thinking?!” Gibbs demanded, his hand smacking Tony’s head good. Then the room dulled around him, and Gibbs felt something shift inside his head and suddenly he was viewing the world around him differently. Everything singled down to Tony, and Gibbs could suddenly see who Tony was and what Tony felt. Gibbs stared at Tony hard and basked in the intense feelings Tony was broadcasting to him: a submissive that was scared and thrilled and relieved to see him.

To Tony’s shock, instead of yelling, Gibbs pulled him forward and devoured his mouth.

“Nnm, mmm, B-boss…” Tony breathed.

“MINE! Don’t ever leave me again, understand?” Gibbs demanded in between hard kisses, wrapping his arms tightly around Tony.

“Yes, promise, god, Boss, missed you…promise,” Tony chattered back at him and when Gibbs pulled back Tony followed, trying to chase the lips that had just been ravishing his mouth.

“Boss? Tony?” McGee’s voice filtered through their impromptu make out session, but the sound of another person seemed to set Gibbs off. He turned and pushed Tony against the wall behind him. He glared at McGee for an instant, then at Dylan and Elizabeth, and finally at John Sheppard.

“Back off, now!” he snarled at the crowd. Tony tried to take a step forward, but was confused when Gibbs’ arm shot out to shove him back. He didn’t understand the warm feeling that was overtaking him or the amplified and nearly overwhelming desire he had to kneel at Gibbs’ feet and do anything the man asked. It felt like they were connected and Tony could swear that he felt Gibbs’ ire at the other Doms in the room. He instinctively knew to lean towards Jon and not towards Sheppard.

Gibbs on the other hand had no idea why he suddenly felt like half the room were enemies, but Gibbs knew he had to get Tony out of there and somewhere else where he could exert his Dominance over Tony fully…

“Of all the…they’ve bonded,” Colonel Sheppard’s voice seemed halfway amused at the situation and halfway irritated. The Colonel rubbed his temples, while everyone around them stared in astonishment or confusion.

Sheppard stepped towards Gibbs to say something. The older man growled at him and wrapped a strong grip around Tony’s wrist. Tony gasped at the bruising force. Suddenly the collar that was tucked underneath his shirt felt constricting and he wanted to wrench it off. It felt like a huge betrayal to his Dom.

“Tony, take him to your quarters,” Sheppard snapped, while never taking his eyes off Gibbs. Sheppard had moved his own submissive behind him in case the alpha Dominant turned his attention to Rodney. Tony stared at Sheppard in shock, as he kept trying to process what was going on around him. Aggravated, Gibbs stepped in between Sheppard and Tony with even more aggressive posturing. Realizing that Gibbs just might attack someone, Tony snapped into motion. He laid his second hand around Gibb’s grip and tugged lightly.

“Come on, Boss, please. Come on. I’ll tell you what happened later, but we need to get back to my quarters now, unless you want the entire room to see us naked,” Tony begged. Gibbs started moving the minute Tony pulled on his hand, then began dragging Tony out of the room.

“Whoa, slow down, boss. I need to show you where we’re going,” Tony tried to project as much soothing energy as he could through the newly formed bond and tried to keep the pit of fear that was nesting in his belly from taking root. He didn’t know how to work the bond and had never even really paid attention into the mandatory lessons on the matter that all Atlanteans had to take in case they met their mate in the field.

Gibbs was going to kill him once he came down from the adrenaline and testosterone high. His straight boss would be furious when he became aware of the bond that Tony had unintentionally inflicted on him.

Gibbs stopped abruptly and Tony found himself slammed into the wall, Gibbs' hand cradling the back of his head to keep him from cracking it open. Tony stayed completely still and went pliant instinctively.

“I don’t know what’s going the hell on, Tony, but you don’t have to be scared. I’m not going to harm you,” Gibbs whispered before dropping a feather light kiss on his lips that was at odds with the rough way he was pressing Tony against the wall.

Tony flushed as he realized that Gibbs had felt his fear through the link. Then Gibbs started talking again and Tony about came in his pants. “Well, hurt you plenty, but only in pleasurable amounts,” Gibbs grin was fierce and Tony whimpered as he felt need course through his body.

“Please,” Tony whispered.

Gibbs’ grin grew even bigger, “Where’s your room, Tony?”

Tony shook himself out of the stupor as Gibbs backed away a bit before yanking Tony to his body and wrapping an arm around his waist.

“Not much further, down this corridor and through the transporter and second door on the left,” Tony answered promptly.

Gibbs raised an eyebrow. “Transporter like an elevator?”

Tony smiled at that, “Not exactly boss. Goes more places than up and down. And I don’t think you could figure out the emergency off switch unless McGee traded brains with you.”

“Always wanted to fuck you in ours back at NCIS,” Gibbs admitted as they reached the transporter. Tony looked over at him in dumb shock. Gibbs had wanted him before Atlantis bonded them?

Gibbs sighed and pulled Tony to face him. He ran his hands through Tony’s hair, enjoying the fact that he could now touch, and watched as Tony’s eyes closed slightly and he moaned like a cat purring. Gibbs pulled him in slowly this time and set about exploring his mouth gently, nibbling on his lips and then pressing his tongue in to map out the new territory.

They arrived at his rooms. Gibbs raised an eyebrow as the door lit up and swung open with no prompt from either of them.

“There’s a gene that some people have called the ATA gene. It allows them to connect to Atlantis mentally and I’m a carrier,” Tony explained as he led them in, fingers interlaced and Tony grasping so tight that Gibbs wondered if he was ever going to let go.

Once inside Gibbs pulled his hand loose, eliciting a small sound of reluctance from Tony, and looked around. There was not much in the way of personal décor, in fact it looked barely lived in, but Gibbs recognized one picture of the entire team the night that they had gone out to celebrate Abby’s birthday. Gibbs had only gone because Abby begged and said Tony wouldn’t go unless he did too. There was a single frame with a picture of Kate in the wet t-shirt contest that Tony had sent him years ago. Gibbs chuckled and gave Tony a mock glare. He grinned when Tony began blushing bright red and then shrugged.

“It’s the only picture I really had of Kate on my phone when I left. I wasn’t allowed my phone, even though I doubt I’d have service out here,” Tony gave Gibbs a wry grin, “But I did have the memory card in my pocket,” Tony explained and then his face darkened. “Tim put the pictures from my phone on a memory card the morning before I was transferred out here. Remember, we got the office-wide memo in our NCIS email that there was to be no personal numbers or media on NCIS issued devices like our cell phones or laptops. Thought it was stupid as people had them on their SIM cards and if you steal the phone then you get the card too. Pointless rule,” Tony shrugged and looked down to Gibbs who looked stunned then chuckled.

“That rule was abolished point five seconds after you were permanently transferred. They did it for you, Tony. The SGC knew that if you wanted something personal to go with you it would be the people you consider family. The pictures and the numbers were to remind you that while this might be your home now, you can always visit.”

Tony listened intently at Gibbs’ words. He hoped that Gibbs’ words meant that the man understood how Tony felt about leaving Atlantis. It was something Tony couldn’t even begin to imagine. Gibbs nodded understandingly and moved on to the last picture. It was Tony and four other men he didn’t recognize.

“My team and Alex…he’s, umm…one of the marines missing,” Tony said quietly by way of explanation and then cursed himself for not admitting who Alex was.

Gibbs’ eyes narrowed at the pause around Alex’s name and he wondered how close that specific marine and Tony were. Tony shivered guiltily. Intense jealousy seared through Gibbs caused, his anger reappearing, and Tony watched as Gibbs closed his eyes for a moment.

Finally, Gibbs seemed to get control over his resentment and he turned his eyes to Tony.

“Do you have any idea how worried I’ve been?” Gibbs growled.

Tony protested guiltily, “It was orders, Boss, and I wasn’t really given a choice.”

Gibbs snarled, “Oh, I’m damn well aware of that. I watched the bullpen tapes. O’Neill swept into the bullpen and you panted after him like a bitch in heat.”

Tony froze completely and stared wide eyed at Gibbs, “Boss…” he began weakly.

Gibbs stopped him with a stone cold look, “I didn’t say it was your fault, Tony. You responded the way he planned for you to respond, like a sub that hadn’t been taken down in far too long.”

Tony’s head snapped up as the word _sub_ passed through Gibbs lips. Gibbs understood what a sub needed. Gibbs knew Tony was a sub.

Gibbs looked at him wryly. “What? Did you really think I didn’t know why you got a hard on every time I slapped your head? Tim, Ziva, hell even Kate tried to hide their indignation if I ever head slapped them. But you, you would act out just to get one.” Gibbs barked out a laugh.

“Why didn’t you do anything about it if you knew?” Tony accused as a bit of anger washed over him.

Gibbs looked sad for a moment, but then he seemed to get angry as well, “You came in every day talking about some floozy you’d banged. I didn’t know till after you left that the occasional Michelle was actually Mike or that Christina was Christopher! Why the hell would I take you when you obviously were just looking to add another notch to your bedpost?”

Tony grew angrier word by word and when Gibbs finished he lost complete control, “Because I was in love with you, you jarhead!” Tony watched as Gibbs’ face grew redder by the second, but Tony couldn’t stop once he started. “All I wanted was some sort of sign that you wanted me, or that you even valued me, and I would have given you _everything!_ I didn't really want any of those dates or those stupid weak doms or all the nights alone. I wanted you! And you recognized I was a sub, but you didn't reach out to help me. You played me the entire time I was working for you! Well, screw the bond, I’d rather have somebody that doesn’t think I’m a whore! I’ll take someone who isn’t my soulmate, as long as he isn’t an asshole who thinks I’m just a used hole!” So hurt he couldn't stand it, Tony sagged in exhaustion. “I’ve been in love with you since I met you Gibbs, and I just tried to be the agent you needed. I hid it so you wouldn’t leave me,” Tony whispered and slid down the wall until he was huddled in a protective ball.

Gibbs snarled at himself, pacing to calm himself. He wasn't sure he wouldn't make things worse, but he finally kneeled down beside Tony, balancing his weight on his heels.

“I’m sorry Tony, that was out of line. I don't think you're a whore and I certainly don’t want you as just a hole to fuck…at least not only,” Gibbs clarified considering that he very much wanted to fuck Tony, but not on a one time basis. "I thought you didn't know you were a sub. I thought telling you you were one would make you run away."

Tony peeked up from where he’d rested his head on his folded arms and sighed at the pained look that Gibbs was wearing. He uncurled himself and scooted forward hesitantly. He wanted to just throw himself at Gibbs, but was scared at the amount of emotion that would show. Gibbs somehow understood his desire and the next thing Tony knew he was pulled into the other’s man embrace and held.

“Not letting you go, Tony, never letting you go,” the older man stated bluntly and ran his hands all over Tony’s body. Tony keened happily as Gibbs wrapped his fingers in Tony’s hair and pulled his head back to bare his neck. Gibb’s mouth attached itself to the smooth skin and sucked down hard for a few minutes before sinking his teeth into the same spot. Tony jerked uncontrollably as Gibbs marked him for the first time.

He was shivering with need when Gibbs let him go and he slid back to the floor while Gibbs stood up. He stared up as Gibbs stripped himself of his jacket and his shirt and then unbuttoned his pants. Tony snapped into action and was back on his knees with his own hands wrapped around Gibbs.

“Please, let me,” he begged looking up, feeling only a guilty, fleeting déjà vu at being in a similar position many, many months earlier with Alex. Gibbs swallowed hard and nodded. Tony grinned and was pleasantly surprised when Gibbs grinned back at him.

Tony brought his hands up to the belt and unfastened it slowly, brushing his fingers over the worn leather in anticipation, and then he unbuttoned and unzipped Gibbs’ pants with equal enthusiasm. Wanting to savor the moment Tony didn’t rush, but simply pulled Gibbs’ pants and briefs to the floor slowly. As Gibbs’ manhood was revealed, he licked his lips in anticipation.

Gibbs’ cock was beautiful, at least eight inches, thick, and cut. It jutted out like a proud soldier standing at attention and Tony couldn’t help but lean in to lap at the head and taste the bit of pre-cum that was leaking.

“Like what you see?” Gibbs asked in amusement.

Tony looked up grinning, “Honestly it wouldn’t matter if you were tiny and crooked. The fact that it’s your cock makes all the difference in the world, but yeah, I love what I see.”

Gibbs barked out a laugh at Tony’s honesty.

“I hope you plan to do more than look at it boy, or you’re going to find yourself over my lap for not following through,” Gibbs remarked as Tony kissed the underside of his new favorite toy.

Tony looked up and raised an eyebrow, “You say that like it would be a punishment.”

Then he leaned over and pulled Gibbs’ cock in his mouth and swallowed it down smoothly and quickly. He continued swallowing till he’d deep throated the length and his lips were touching the base with the coarse hair brushing his upper lip. He inhaled after he swallowed and reveled in the smell that was pure Gibbs.

Gibbs moaned as Tony engulfed him. When Tony looked up at him with his cock completely surrounded by Tony’s mouth and throat, Gibbs reached down and wrapped his fingers in Tony’s hair. He physically had to keep himself from thrusting as he wanted to enjoy this moment. He finally had a part of Tony wrapped around his dick. Tony moved up and down, just a bit, sucking gently.

“You know that you’re not going to only be over my lap for fun and games,” Gibbs couldn’t help but add gravely, wanting to make sure Tony knew what he was asking for. Tony nodded, to the best of his limited ability with his mouth wrapped around the member. Tony slipped away slightly and Gibbs gave in with a slight swerve of his hips driving his cock back in.

Tony inhaled deeply with his nose and finally started to fully move his mouth up and down. He looked up at Gibbs, and the man reveled in the image: Tony’s mouth stretched wide, his eyes looking up adoringly at his Dom as he swallowed around the member in his throat. Gibbs groaned and tightened his grasp in Tony’s hair. He tried to stay as still as he could and let Tony move, but when he felt his balls draw up Gibbs quickly released Tony’s hair to wraps his fingers at the base of his cock and squeeze to stop from coming.

“I want to taste you,” Tony couldn’t help but whine after Gibb’s pulled out. Then Tony flushed when Gibbs looked down at him with an eyebrow raised.

“I want to come deep inside your ass our first time. They’ll be plenty of blowjobs in the future, boy. In fact, your first rule is whenever you wake up before me, you’re going to shimmy down the bed and put your mouth on my cock for a wake-up call,” Gibbs remarked as he pulled Tony up.

“God, boss, that’s fucking hot,” Tony whispered through clenched teeth as Gibbs reached down and palmed his cock tightly.

Gibbs smiled smugly as if he knew exactly what he did to Tony, “That’s just for starts, Tony, and not the ‘hottest’ thing I have planned for you.”

“Oh yeah, what else? Cause that’s pretty hot on its own, boss, don’t know if you can top it,” Tony taunted daringly as he led Gibbs to his bedroom.

Gibbs chuckled dryly, “How about that fact that I’m going to fuck you whenever and wherever I want? Or the next time you flirt with another Dom I’m going to pull you right over my lap and tan your ass as red as all of my ex’s hair. Then fuck you if it’s someone we know, like McGee, don’t think I haven’t caught on those flirty games you used to play with him. McGee gets a boner every time he manages to get one over on you.”

Tony moaned at the mental images, but when Gibbs mentioned McGee he stopped short and looked at Gibbs incredulously, “Tim does not have a hard on for me.”

Gibbs gave him his own incredulous look, “You really didn’t notice the effect you have on McGee? Damn Tony, the boy probably beats off to you even after this year.”

Tony choked on his laughter, “No he doesn’t. We tried and couldn’t stop laughing…” Tony cut off at the thunderous look on Gibbs’ face.

“Hey, it was before he joined the team and I didn’t have any clue you wanted me. We haven’t done anything since, he and Abby are like my best friends,” Tony reassured Gibbs and stepped up to kiss him gently closemouthed.

Then he pulled away. “I’ve gotta go the bathroom. I’ll be right back,” Tony whispered and left when Gibbs gave a slight nod.

Once safely inside the room Tony sat down on the toilet and unbuttoned the top of his shirt. He shakily reached around and unbuckled his collar. He slid it off and stared down at it sadly. Alex would understand. In fact it was one of his former Dom’s rules that if Tony ever bonded then the collar was to be automatically rescinded and he was to take it off whether Alex was there or not. It was still hard and Tony had to pull out a drawer and thrust it in there or else he'd started bawling over it.

His naked neck reminded him that his...old Dom (it was hard to think of Alex that way) was captured and possibly being tortured at this very moment. The bonding was demanding his attention though and Tony knew that he wouldn’t be able to go after Alex and the other Atlanteans until the bond was secured. That was just the way it worked and he would have to depend on his teams to investigate while he and Gibss…bonded.

Tony ran the water and quickly splashed some on his face to try and clear his head. Then he took one last look in the mirror, turning his head to the side to run a finger across the love bite that was already bruising. The slight ting of pain that emitted from the bite made Tony shiver with anticipation for what would come.

He entered the bedroom again and gulped at the sight of Gibbs lying on the bed. The sheets had been folded neatly on the floor and Tony stared as his new Dom casually watched him. Gibbs clicked his fingers together and Tony felt himself respond immediately and practically float across the floor. He climbed onto the bed with Gibbs and sat with his legs tucked underneath him, a half kneel. He watched Gibbs through half lidded eyes. Part of him wanted to tell Gibbs about Alex, but something told him it wasn’t the right time.

“God, you’re beautiful,” Gibbs murmured as he sat up and drew Tony to him. Tony’s eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected compliment and Gibbs sighed at the expression.

“Want to feel your skin against mine, now, Tony,” Gibbs ordered a second later and Tony stripped his clothes off fast and efficiently. Gibbs’ eyes stayed on him, hungrily examining each piece of flesh that was revealed.

“Mine,” Gibbs kept murmuring as more and more of Tony was revealed, so many times that Tony didn’t even think his former boss knew he was talking. Then when Tony was naked and had kneeled, completely this time, Gibbs slid off the bed and clicked his fingers again. Tony was at his feet in a second.

The bond hummed between them as Gibbs walked around Tony and inspected him. Tony felt every bit of fire in the gaze and for the first time really realized that the connection and attraction he’d always felt for the older man was returned tenfold. He was momentarily overwhelmed with the emotion permeating through the link and he felt an intense wave of devotion and love for his Dom.

“Tony,” Gibbs choked out and Tony looked up. His Dom was looking down with more love than lust in his eyes now and Tony knew that he’d received the feelings Tony had been feeling through the bond. Tony mischievously thought about what he’d learned about bonding since coming to Atlantis. He concentrated thoroughly on how much he desired Gibbs and felt his arousal skyrocket. Gibbs’ eyes darkened immediately as they continued to hold each other’s gaze.

Tony felt like he should look down in subservience as he would have down out of respect for Alex. But he the connection, the dynamic, was so different with Gibbs. With Alex, Tony finally understood, there had been love and companionship, they had served each other’s needs and wants and had been good together. Alex had wanted to take care of everything for him. Gibbs had always demanded that Tony rise up to be the agent and officer that Tony could be. Gibbs would make him the person he was meant to be. On some level, he'd always know that. Gibbs and he were going to be great and were meant to be in every way. That in itself was amazing to Tony.

Gibbs finally yanked his eyes away from Tony’s and Tony once again felt the shift in atmosphere as if it was his own thought process making the decisions. His submission became even more aware in his mind as he felt the domination in every step Gibbs made.

“Bed,” Gibbs growled and Tony jumped in answer. He calmly climbed back on the bed and thought about how it was amazing he had managed the move without scrambling in excitement. He was finally going to feel Gibbs inside of him.

 _ **Want you so bad** ,_ Tony thought silently.

“Want you too,” Gibbs answered and Tony’s head jerked up again.

“Telepathy?” He wondered out loud.

Gibbs sent him a confused look, “Not normal here?”

Tony shook his head, “Not that anyone’s mentioned, but the only other gene carrier that is on my level is Colonel Sheppard and his mate Rodney has highly advanced telekinetic abilities. They’re probably the most powerful on Atlantis, but I think our bond might advance us to their height too. I’m not sure.”

As soon as Tony said the words he felt Atlantis hum in agreement. Gibbs and he both looked around shocked. Gibbs looked back to Tony.

 ** _Not normal either?_** Tony heard in his mind and he laughed out loud at how easily Gibbs just started talking to him mentally instead of physically.

 ** _I’ve always felt her, but it’s more pronounced now. More on the organic living thing aspect and less like a city that is technologically advanced with artificial intelligence. More than home, more like family._** Tony hitched his voice as Gibbs’ hand grasped his cock tightly and pulled. Tony shuddered under the rough touch and Gibbs’ wood-worked hands felt as firm and tight as he always thought they would.

 ** _Our home,_** Gibbs’ voice sounded in his head again and Tony opened his eyes to stare at his Dom. He nodded jerkily at the man’s admission that he wanted to stay on Atlantis. Tony felt the undercurrent of worry though.

“They won’t separate us now," he reassured, panting. "Laws against it. Besides, it’s rude to try and divide Dom and sub. Can’t even go into the field without your permission now and the pain from being split by gate, hell, even just miles will be excruciating. Seen it, not pretty,” Tony couldn’t even form entire sentences as he felt Gibbs’ mouth envelope him and the picture of Gibbs kneeled over his cock with it firmly entrenched in the wet, heat was blazoned in Tony’s head.

“Gibbs,” Tony gasped as the man sucked down hard and didn’t let up. He was so close, but wouldn’t dare come without permission. He held onto the control he’d worked hard to gain over the last year and odd months. Gibbs looked up at him questioningly after a few moments and Tony felt the curiosity over his lack of coming through the bond.

He answered the inquisitiveness with a simple, “May I?”

Tony didn’t think Gibbs’ eyes could grow any darker or the lustful feelings floating between them could grow any sharper, but the minute he asked for permission to have his pleasure, Gibbs’ arousal skyrocketed and he felt the answer in his mind.

 ** _Come, now, Tony,_** Gibbs’ voice in his mind was just as strong and confident, maybe even more so with the bond letting Tony feel the actual dominate energy swirling in his boss, than it was in reality. Tony came as soon as permission was granted and Gibbs swallowed down with ease around his cock. So easily that Tony wondered how many men Gibbs had done this. Intense jealousy and possessiveness came over him - with his submission reaching heights he’d never been before. It was overwhelming.

Tony growled entwined with a whimper, a smorgasbord of claim and need, and Gibbs’ chuckle infuriated him and made him want to shudder. If he’d been in a clearer headspace the conflicting emotions would have baffled Tony.

“I’ve only been with a few men Tony, but you should already know that I’m pretty damn good at everything I do,” Gibbs whispered as he crawled up Tony’s body. Tony nodded in affirmation as the soothing words immediately replaced the jealousy.

“And I’ll never take another woman or man into my bed, Tony, and neither will you,” Gibbs’ words were definite and non-arguable, but Tony felt the need to point something out.

“The bond would never allow either of us to be able to even function with another. Unless we took a third into the bond which is extremely rare, but there is nobody I’d ever want now that I’m in your bed.”

Gibbs’ growl caused Tony to shiver and close his eyes in pleasure at the noise he’d always wanted to hear. When he reopened his eyes he found Gibbs staring down at him with a mixture of love, lust, and amusement. Then he felt Gibbs’ fingers dipping slowly into his ass, slick with the lube that Tony hadn’t even seen him retrieve from somewhere.

“One of your men handed it to me as you dragged me away from all those damn Doms,” Gibbs informed him as his began scissoring his fingers slightly before adding a third. Tony keened at the intense feeling as Gibb's fingers nudged his prostate and his dick gave a lurch, attempting to resurrect itself. He concentrated briefly on just giving in and giving Gibbs pleasure and not trying to take any relief for himself.

Gibbs once again gave him that confused look with the question broadcasting through the bond.

Tony blushed, “Want you to use me. Just use me for your pleasure, it…it’ll make me fall deeper into my subspace,” he explained quietly and once again Gibbs reacted just as he had when Tony asked permission to come.

“God, Tony, you’re perfect. Everything I want in a sub. It’s like you were made for me. I feel like anything I ask for, you’ll have the exact same desires,” Gibbs murmured as he finally pulled his fingers free, trailing the excess lube across the inside of Tony’s thigh.

This time Tony chuckled, “That’s what the bond means, Gibbs. That our dynamic is perfect for one another. We're mated now. Forever.”

Gibbs smiled at him warmly at the words and Tony watched the sight in awe. He didn’t think he’d seen the man smile for real at him ever before. He’d seen it in a picture once when he’d stayed at Gibbs house after being hurt and had accidentally walked into another bedroom. Gibbs had been at headquarters finishing up paperwork and Tony was supposed to be sleeping. There had been a picture of Gibbs and his first wife sitting on the bedside table. The man had been smiling at his new bride the same way he’d just smiled at Tony.

Tony had stared at the picture for hours. He had reluctantly left it when Gibbs had called to say he was heading home to check on him.

Tony’s memory dissipated as he felt Gibbs’ cock at his entrance. He took a deep breath and bore down as Gibbs pushed in. The man didn’t go slow, and thrust deep in the first go. Tony’s breath was taken away. It was exactly what he wanted and the elder man knew it. Gibbs didn’t give him a chance to get used to his thick cock. He started fucking Tony hard, pulling out to the tip and thrusting back in deep. Tony whimpered as he was driven into, the long dick reaching deep inside of him, stretching his poor anus taunt. He grabbed the bed sheets and threw his neck back, both legs spread wide. Gibbs drove harder and harder into him, and it had never felt so intense or overwhelming.

Gibbs pulled his hips closer, and stroked Tony’s dick. Tony squirmed. All of this, it filled his brain. But he couldn’t come because he sensed through the bond that Gibbs didn’t want him to. Instead, Tony just panted and cried, as his cock and ass were both stimulated to the point it hurt. He whined and begged and Gibbs squeezed his cock tightly in punishment. Tony cried out, arching his back and writhing from it all.

Tony’s orgasm was fully denied, and when Tony lay pliant and worn out in exhaustion, completely submissive to whatever Gibbs would do to him, then Gibb’s chuckled, still driving into him steadily, and pulled his hand from Tony’s cock to press his fingers into Tony’s mouth. Tony obediently sucked on the fingers, his eyes fluttering shut. He could taste his own precum on Gibb’s hands, and blushed prettily.

“That’s right, you’re a slut for it, aren’t you?” Gibbs snapped his hips so hard that Tony’s hips were lifted off the bed. His poor bottom would be so sore after this.

The bed was swaying at the same pace as Gibbs’ hips and Tony couldn’t help but spread his legs farther apart and clench down on Gibbs’ cock, trying to give the man better access and more pleasure. Gibbs hissed in response and Tony felt the man’s control begin to crumble in his mind. "Okay Tony."

“Boss,” he sobbed, and came, his ass clenching around Gibb’s dick. His own cock spurted cum, though it was so spent that it hurt.

“Tony,” Gibbs groaned as he came deep inside and he barely managed to twist and fall to Tony’s side, immediately dragging the younger man back against him.

“Love you,” Gibbs said quietly as both men tried to catch their breath. Tony stilled completely and felt his eyes water.

“Love you too,” he raggedly answered. The bond hummed between them and Tony felt the urge to fuck edge off to a controllable level. He was floating in subspace, but he knew that they didn’t have long before they had to be moving.

Alex and the rest of his Atlantis comrades needed them and even if Tony had wanted to ignore that and stay in bed with Gibbs, he never would abandon those that he considered family.

“We have to go meet…the others…time…” he mumbled, barely able to talk more than a couple words clearly. He tried to climb out of his subspace, but Gibbs smacked his ass one good time and Tony felt himself fall firmly back down and tilted his neck to look back questioningly.

“Stay down for now, you’ll probably think clearer and when we get back amidst those packs of wolves it’ll be easier for me to control myself. You can come up after we get there and I can think clearly without wanting to shoot one of them,” Gibbs ordered.

Tony nodded dumbly for a moment. Gibbs ordered him to get dressed, so he slid out of bed and shrugged on his clothes quickly, straightening them to perfection. He was buttoning up the last button of his uniform when Gibbs smacked his hand away and unbuttoned the one below it.

“I want my marks easily seen till I can put a collar around your neck,” his Dom simply stated as he straightened his own clothes. Tony nodded sharply, infinitely pleased at the remark, but his gut tightened as Gibbs’ words reminded him of Alex.

“Um…Gibbs, Boss…I…need to tell you…” Tony began but the sound of Tim’s voice over his comm-link stopped him.

“Tony? Boss? If you’re…um…if you’re done, doing, um…if you’re done we think we have something. Colonel Sheppard said enough time had passed to contact you…” Tim stuttered through the words and Tony chuckled as Gibbs picked up his communicator and looked at it for a moment before turning to Tony.

Tony hit the relay button and Gibbs spoke, “We’ll be there in ten, McGee,” his gruff voice sounded extra rough, but Tony clearly heard the affection for their youngest team member.

“He’s been a good senior agent?” he asked as they left his room.

Gibbs nodded, “Learned from the best didn’t he?”

“That you are, Boss,” Tony answered, but Gibbs stopped and turned to him.

“I meant you. And I’m sorry I didn’t make it clear how much the team needed you,” Gibbs told him seriously. Tony gave a jerky nod.

“Yes, sir,” he finally said, not really having the words to tell Gibbs how much that meant.

They rounded the final corner, and were at one of the conference rooms and about to enter when Martinez’s stopped them in their tracks.

“Do you know who Alex Dupree is?" 

Tony's eyes went wide. **_No, I, I can explain Gibbs-_**

 _ **Stop.**_ Gibbs looked at the marine who had stopped them. Waited in that expectant way of his.

"Alex is…was Tony’s Dom.” Martinez glared at Gibbs as he said it, his posture stiff and angry. “His kidnapping is what prompted Tony to call ya’ll out here.”

Tony felt himself go numb. He desperately didn’t want to look at Gibbs. And Martinez was angry - Tony had betrayed more than just one person here. He'd let down his team, his friends, his partner.

Gibbs was shocked, but had enough wits to maneuver Tony away from the conference room and back into the hallway. Martinez followed. He was still glaring with aggression that made Gibbs' hackles rise.

“You wouldn’t be here if Tony didn’t love Alex so much.” Martinez spat.

Tony felt himself slip onto his knees in trepidation and clasped his hands behind him. There was nothing he could do here except submit and let his Dom decide his punishment. He kept his head down in complete subservience and waited for the absolutely frozen man to say something.

 _Please don’t hate me, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry everyone. Please don’t hate me,_ Tony prayed.

Gibbs’ hand gently touched Tony’s shoulder and then gripped tightly. “Get out of here,” Tony heard Gibbs snarl at Martinez.

The overwhelming dominance that Gibbs’ asserted rushed over Tony, leaving him trembling. He heard Martinez reluctantly step away. “Go!” Gibb’s ordered again and something in his voice made Martinez obey.

“Tony, look up at me,” Gibbs’ words were terse, but there was not any anger in his voice, certainly not the fury Tony had expected.

Tony looked up to meet his Dom’s eyes and found something he was completely not expecting: understanding and knowledge.

“Is his collar what you put in the bathroom drawer?” Gibbs spoke quietly enough that the not far conference room wouldn’t hear, even though Tony knew Atlantis would have informed the Colonel that they had arrived. He wasn’t sure who all had seen them in the doorway.

“Yes, sir,” Tony’s voice sounded extremely hoarse and desperate to his ears and he felt extremely vulnerable.

"And the reason your quarters looks barely been lived in." Gibbs reached down and tucked a hand under Tony’s chin, holding his head in place, and rubbing the hollow of his throat with his thumb. “I already knew you’d been collared, Tony. The skin is lighter where the collar was. I might not have known about this bonding, but I knew that it didn’t matter who the collar belonged too. You are mine now and they would have had to go,” Gibbs explained and Tony felt guilty relief flood his body.

“They took him, Gibbs," Tony begged. "There are so many men and women who have been taken and the SGC worked double time to just to get you here. Please help him.”

“And you took his collar off?” Gibbs asked.

Tony looked down, “Alex and I have a clause in our contract that if one of us was to bond the collar was immediately rescinded. He won’t fight you on it. Though he will be hurt…” Tony trailed off, realizing for the first time how deeply Alex would be hurt. He hadn’t really believed the other man had truly loved him until this moment.

"Yes, I'll help him." Gibbs reached around and squeezed his neck. He pulled Tony into his embrace and kissed him hard but indulgently, owning him, Gibb's tongue dipping in to swirl around Tony’s own. Tony moaned into the kiss and felt his erection stirring.

Gibbs pulled back with a smug grin at Tony’s reaction. Tony gave a slight glare at his tenting pants and then to his Dom. Gibbs smacked the back of his head before he could say anything smart ass.

“That’s for what you were going to say, whatever it was,” Gibbs smartly informed him. Gibbs’ hand wrapped around Tony’s wrist and pulled him along. They entered the conference room and all conversation there immediately stopped.

Colonel Sheppard peered at Tony with assessing eyes.

“Colonel Sheppard, I understand you are checking Tony to make sure I didn't hurt him,” Gibbs sidled up close to the Colonel and spoke in a dangerously soft voice, “but if you continue to stare at my sub with all that attention, then I’m going to shoot you,” Gibbs’ voice held that deadly twinge that Tony had heard so many times before, but he was a bit startled at Gibbs’ possessive stance on a friend  _looking_  at him.

Sheppard raised an eyebrow and stared Gibbs in the eye. The colonel casually leaned back against the wall, never breaking eye contact, completely at odds with the fact that Tony knew the man was as wired about his missing people as a good leader would be. Rodney on the other hand immediately had something to say. “If you ever threaten my Dom again, _Special Agent_ Gibbs, I’ll shoot you and blow up every boat you’ve ever made.”

Tony choked. Ziva raised a mocking eyebrow at him. Now everyone knew how often he’d talked about Gibbs and without censor in a lot of ways. He waited for Gibbs to get upset, but when the man laughed his entire team stared at him in shock and Tony felt a happy swirl at the sound.

“Understood, Dr. McKay. What do ya got?” Gibbs’ voice changed quickly and it was back to business. He sat down at the conference table, pushing Tony’s shoulder to indicate he should sit right beside him. Tony wished he could kneel beside the man, but he needed to be able to see everyone and participate in the conversation. Tim, Ziva, Gibbs, and himself were there. It was like a little family reunion, just without the potato salad, but with all the awkwardness. Tony desperately wished that Abby were in the room. Had she been able to come? He desperately wanted to see her.

As usual the NCIS team went in turns and Tim, with current seniority, went first.

“Well, Boss...and Tony. Right, Tony’s in charge now…I think...” Tim’s eyes darted back and forth between Gibbs and DiNozzo. Tony raised a mocking eyebrow of his own, and Gibb’s expressionless face managed to show impatience. “Guess it doesn’t matter. The Atlantis crew briefed us on the situation, but before I go over that I have to say…I’m sorry, Tony.” Tony sat up straighter, alarmed and confused. Tim shook his head, but didn’t look away.

“I’m sorry for saying this in front of all these people, but you deserve a public apology. I never gave you the credit or respect you deserve, regardless of how many stupid pranks you played on me or how often you goofed off during work. I'm getting off track already," Tim turned inward, breathed, then addressed Tony with respect again. "I know now you were getting me ready for what I would have to deal with in the future. You’re one of my best friends and damn man, I miss you. We all do. You're brilliant, you deserve your position here, and we all owe you an apology.” Tim’s words made Tony’s mouth drop. Tim gave Ziva a pointed glance which made her nod, but Tony didn’t have it together enough to decipher that quite yet. Tony looked to Gibbs helplessly, but Tim went on before anything else could be said.

“Boss, we’ve been scouring Tony’s notes, and Dr. Heightmeyer’s, and Tony’s team’s notes…especially Corporal Sharpe’s. In fact, that’s where we picked up on something. Before Tony arrived there were two attacks that seemed random at the time, but now we’re not so sure. Of all the attacks against Atlantis' soldiers in the last five years, these two attacks were executed in similar ways and both survivors described their escape similarly. The attackers seemed to have only basic technology, but they moved in and out so fast that their primitive appearance might have been a ruse."

Tim looked at everyone in the room, gauging their reaction. He met Tony's eyes before he continued. "Both attacks each left only one Atlantis soldier alive. One of those survivors was rescued by a princess and her people, and she has since become one of Atlantis’s major allies. The other survivor managed to escape as the barbarians were searching the bodies of his teammates and his submissive,” Tim’s voice went hard over the word _submissive_ and it sounded so personal that Tony wondering briefly what that could mean. Tim and he had messed around and while Tim had always taken the lead Tony never noticed Tim being particularly dominant.

Then Ziva picked up, startling Tony with her words just like Tim had.

“Before we go any further...Tony, I was mad at you for leaving at first. Gibbs needed you to make him smile. I needed you to remind me that I was more than just a tool. Tim still had things to learn, even though he has done extremely well,” the look Ziva shot Tim made Tony’s eyes narrow in suspicion and Tim gave her an encouraging smile. To Tony’s surprise Ziva responded by blushing slightly and Tony could practically feel the dynamic sizzling between the two. Tony felt a bit winded as he would never have pegged Ziva as a submissive before.

“Abby and Ducky needed you for comfort and companionship. We all needed you because you are a brilliant investigator who sees outside the box and...because you are a very dear friend. We have missed you greatly. However, this was our fault because we never told you any of this. I am truly sorry for the injustice done by our ignorance and our silence.” 

Rare was the day Ziva gave him any praise. Tony had to look away. He reached down and grasped Gibbs’ hand so tight he was sure the man’s hand was turning white.

Once again though Ziva continued back to the case, just like Tim had, and Tony wondered if every team member was going to have something personal to say. He wasn’t sure he could handle that. He already saw Dr. Heightmeyer looking at him like he was a piece of cake and Tony dreaded his next appointment with her.

“Your case from a while back, the one that ended in suicide, was the first soldier captured. He escaped, was extremely disturbed by what had happened, and ultimately killed himself. Your Dr. Heightmeyer said in the man's file that he remembered each member of his team being killed, including his submissive, before a third, unknown entity helped him to run away. The entity was heavily cloaked and led him away from the barbarians and the Stargate, promising to help him to safety. His memories of this person or alien are vague, but the strangest thing was that he claimed that,” Ziva looked puzzled as she recited what she had read, “he heard this big boat talk to him.”

Tony blinked. “What?”

“The _boat_ , Tony. This boat, he said it spoke to him.” Ziva enunciated, gesturing to the room around them.

“This ship? _Atlantis?_ It’s not a 'boat', Ziva-” He used air quotations.

“Ship. Boat. They are the same thing-”

“You can't call _Atlantis_ a 'boat'. It's _this big_ ," he waved his arms wide, "and the word 'boat' has no gravity. It rhymes with goat, and that's just disrespectful-”

"What?! You call Gibb's boats _'boats'_ , so how is that disrespectful?"

"Totally different-"

“Enough you two,” Gibbs broke in, while Tony and Ziva glared at each other in familiar, friendly animosity that actually calmed Tony. A few of the Atlantis crew shared looks of surprised humor, some even sniggered.

“The ship talked to this man while he was on another planet?” Gibbs asked.

Now Colonel Sheppard stepped in to explain. “Gene carriers here on Atlantis can communicate with Atlantis in certain ways. You’ve probably seen how the ship reacts when Tony’s around?”

“Yeah. Everything lights up. He told me about it.”

“Well sometimes we can sense information from it.”

Tony stage whispered, “Like how you know who’s a dominant, Boss.”

Gibbs’ eyes darted to Sheppard and Dr. Weir, to Tim, and to Martinez who stood defensively at the edge of the huddle group. Tony raised an eyebrow at the fact that Martinez was standing protectively over Jon _and_ Jacobs. He watched the only Dom on his team. Martinez's gaze flickered between the two men sitting sitting with him. Jacob was relaxed, but Jon tensed nervously.

 _When did that happened_ , Tony thought to himself and was only slightly startled when he heard Gibbs’ voice in his head.

 ** _You didn’t know that he was sleeping with_ both _of them?_** Gibbs sounded amused and Tony gave him a slight glare. Gibbs reached out and ruffled his hair slightly before they both turned their attention back to Ziva and John spoke up again.

“Well sometimes Atlantis will tell us other things. If something’s wrong, I usually get this horrible dreading feeling.”

Ziva was a little skeptical, “And you’re sure this is the boat?”

“Ship.”

“We’re sure,” Dr. McKay intervened. “Atlantis will communicate with you if you have the right genetic code, or have undergone the gene therapy for it. But Atlantis usually doesn’t talk to us when we’re away from it.”

Gibbs asked, “But it spoke to this man?”

Dr Heightmeyer nodded. “Davis claims it did. He felt this horrible warning the whole time he was with whoever saved him. It was so strong that he managed to sneak away, and stumbled back to the Stargate and got home. You have to remember that even though we know a lot about Atlantis, we learn new things every day. In fact the longer we’ve been here the more connected we seem to become to Atlantis itself.”

"So someone saved him. And Atlantis told him to get away from that person." Tony glanced around the group.

Tim nodded. "We suspect that the goal in each of these attacks was to capture one soldier and brainwash him to become a spy."

Tony's blew out a big breath. Several others leaned back or closed their eyes under the gravity of that statement.

"He was almost kidnapped and brainwashed. But he got away. He was a hero." Tony said quietly. Elizabeth took a shaky breath, and John shook his head in quiet anger. 

Tony gave her a reassuring look, but Elizabeth just looked away. It was subtle, but Rodney gently touched Colonel Sheppard’s hand in reassurance. Sheppard’s expression didn’t change, but he gripped Dr. McKay’s hand in return.

None of the NCIS team commented on the sadness around the Atlantis team, but Gibb’s plowed on. “You said there was another man.”

Tim spoke up. “Yes. Master Sergeant Nicholas Saronti. Like Davis, his entire team was wiped out, killed by barbarians. He went missing for two months and was assumed dead or captured. But he was returned just shortly after Tony arrived.”

“By his own will?” Gibbs asked.

Dr. Weir answered, “No. By Princess Melantha of the Sulish people. She is a beautiful young sub, and a kind ruler. She says she recognized one of our people in a slave trade, and she freed him and returned him to us.”

Tony gave a confused look to Dr. Weir. While he agreed that Melantha was beautiful and young, he could have sworn the girl was a Dom. The first time he’d ever seen her on his first day, he had felt the twinge of natural attraction a sub felt towards a Dom towards both the princess and Elizabeth as they stood together talking. He was also beginning to get an eerie feeling about the seemingly sweet and innocent princess. He almost thought Elizabeth seemed a little too trusting of Melantha.

“And what was she doing at a slave trade?” Gibbs asked directly as he picked up on Tony’s uneasiness.

Dr. Weir shook her head unhappily. “Slave trade is prominent among the Pegasus Galaxy. We believe the Sulish have been around for hundreds of thousands of years and they know many of the other races here. Humans have expanded in Pegasus, but we still don’t have the same access as the Sulish do. They see far more of what goes on than we do.”

“But you suspect that this Nicholas Saronti she saved may be acting as a brainwashed spy.”

“Yes,” Dr. Weir sighed. Dr. Heightmeyer nodded her agreement.

“Fine. That’s one lead. I guess we should start looking deeper into it. Where is Nicholas Saronti?” Gibbs asked briskly.

“In the field,” Colonel Sheppard admitted after a reluctant moment.

Gibbs nodded, “Get him back here and in containment immediately. I want a few words with him.”

Tony agreed emphatically and then another idea struck him.

“As soon as he is detained we should send a message to Melantha and tell her he’s been taken into custody as a traitor. Tell her we think he might have compromised her people as well to keep her from suspecting. Get her here and let’s see how she behaves when her alleged partner is questioned.”

\---

Nicholas Saronti was in containment and not happy about it. Melantha had arrived only hours after they’d taken the man and Tony stood watch as she entered the room with a small entourage that she halted with a hand.

Tony watched the petite princess hurry to Nicholas Saronti’s side. The man stood up and pulled her into his arms before he tenderly kissed her on the head.

She turned her face up towards him, and gently touched his face. “My brave warrior, it is so good to see you.”

Tony turned away from the two. It felt like watching a sappy movie couple in black and white. But the investigator in him couldn’t help but look for clues. Gibbs was standing in a shadowed corner, concealed by the darkness and watching their backs. The conversation was simple as Hardy declared his innocence and the Princess soothed him. Finally Tony cleared his throat and indicated it was time for her to go.

She smiled sweetly at him and submissiveness poured off her in waves. It confused Tony to no end.

“My dear warrior could not have done these things you ask,” she said simply before preparing to go. Tony just nodded sharply and wondered if he imagined her eyes darkening in return.

The princess pulled her gloves on and a delicate silk poncho. She smiled to Tony one last time and let her party lead her away. As she left, Tony couldn’t help but think there was something about her... It niggled at the back of his brain and for some reason his eyes centered on her gloves.

He pushed his memory trying figure out why they were bothering him.

Gibbs came up behind him, distracting him momentarily, and Tony leaned into his embrace happily.

“She’s a Dom. You were right,” Gibbs gruffly remarked as he tried to keep his hands from running the expanse of Tony’s body.

“What!” Tony exclaimed, “Just now, she was a sub.”

Gibbs looked at him strangely and turned his sub around.

“You were looking at her from the front and I saw her from the back. She must have some way to confuse people. She’s a Dom though. My gut tells me,” Gibbs responded. Tony thought about it and nodded. It was the only thing that made sense.

“Go talk to McGee and get a sitrep with anything they’ve found. I’m going to find Dr. McKay and see if he knows how she could be doing this,” Gibbs ordered. Tony nodded and reluctantly pulled away.

\---

"These blows are from very...rudimentary weapons," Ducky said, as he pointed at the body of an Atlantean soldier who had died in the attack. "But I don't think the attacker had much experience with the weapon. You see, when someone used to using a bludgeoning weapon attacks with enough power to be dangerous, they'll only need one or two attacks. And blows can only come in at predictable and classifiable angles of attack. This allows defensive maneuvers and counter attacks to be trained. Whoever delivered these blows took a very long time to make a decent killing blow, here on the scalp."

"So these 'barbarians' aren't used to the weapons they're using," Gibbs concluded.

"I believe so, Jethro."

"And I'll bet they're used to using beams and force fields." Gibbs bit out.

"You may be right." Ducky and Gibbs nodded to each other, before Gibbs took off, and Ducky turned to the next body.

\---

McGee eyed the three marines. “So that’s your investigating team, huh?”

Tony glanced at his team and smiled. “Not really an 'investigating' team. Martinez and Jacobs are mostly there in case a situation goes bad. Sharpe too, he’s a good marine, though I’m training him to become an investigator. I’ve mentioned his potential to John and Elizabeth already; I think he’s got the aptitude to eventually run a second team that could focus on some of the cases that involve non-earth persons.”

“He’s got a good memory, and his notes are a lot clearer than someone else I know…”

“Hey, I do my best work up here.” Tony pointed to his brain. “Not on paper. And I try to get everything notated, just in case the case goes cold or I wind up dead. But I figure, if you can’t do it yourself, then get someone else who can…”

“That’s why you chose him?”

Tony nodded. “Yeah. He was my original marine, and I chose him because he had a good mind and I felt he would good at the things I'm not great at. You should talk to him about tech sometime.”

Tim narrowed his eyes. “The big one and the laid back one weren’t with you originally?”

“Nope.”

Tim looked carefully back and forth between Tony and the marines. “Why not?”

Tony rocked back on his heels, like he was stalling. “Sheppard added them later. After the barbecue incident. I think Sharpe might have gone behind my back and begged for backup.”

“The _what_ incident?” Tim was incredulous.

“Yeah, that’s what Sheppard said.” An awkward pause. “So what’ve we got?” Tony asked after a moment.

Tim smiled a little at the familiar redirect, “I’d say we got ourselves a caught and bound traitor. The entire time Nicholas Saronti talked to Princess Melantha his vitals showed no aggravation or interest. With that kiss something should have…uh…raised…blood pressure…among other things.”

Tony chuckled at Tim’s hesitation to say the man’s dick. He easily put together the point being that if the man had been conditioned and brainwashed it was completely plausible that he would have no physical reactions.

“Alright, Timmy, that’s a good job,” Tony answered and Tim beamed with the praise. That made Tony realize that things really had changed. He might not be THE boss, but he was now a boss. The team was finally treating him like one.

“We also noticed that Melantha seemed agitated when you didn’t fall all over her,” Abby added after a moment, coming up behind Tony to hug him. Tony put his hands over her's and nodded. He’d noticed Melantha's eyes growing cooler when he’d not agreed about Hardy not being the spy.

“Okay, let’s see the others and set a plan in motion,” he ordered and was irrevocably satisfied when everyone moved to do as he said without questioning. He followed his team out, feeling for the first time like they all respected him.

\---

The team was in place and everyone had their assignment. Gibbs and Colonel Sheppard were walking through the ranks and checking everything over. When Gibbs stopped by Tony he brushed his lips with a kiss.

“You are to be careful the entire time you’re away from me. You are the most important thing when it comes to safety. If it comes down to it you leave anyone and everyone and run like hell. Am I clear?” Gibbs asked.

Tony nodded grimly though he refused to even entertain the idea of abandoning his people. But the idea of disobeying Gibbs was nauseating. They were getting their people back one way or another. Gibbs would make sure of it. The Stargate flung into motion and they were moving out. Puddle jumpers first with their cloaking on and then the foot soldiers and finally the special teams that were going in to specifically retrieve intelligence and find the prisoners that hadn’t been sold yet. Tony’s team was going to find the prisoners while Gibbs’ team was going to locate the intelligence.

They moved through the heavy bush silently. Gibbs gave Tony an appraising look as he managed to stay stealthy and quiet. Tony blushed at the approving look.

 ** _I’ve been here a year, Boss. It required me to learn how to move among the soldiers like a ghost. Every man and woman out here is among the best in the world_** , he whispered through their link.

 ** _Well, I knew that Tony. You’re here._** The minute Gibbs said the words Tony overflowed with such a happy wave of emotion that Jethro wondered how long simple words like that had been all he needed to say to Tony. He thought of all the negative things he had said, or implied, or joked over the years. In hatred, Gibbs started to curse himself in his thoughts.  
 ** _  
Uhh…Boss,_** Tony muttered in their head. Gibbs snapped out of his tirade as he bypassed a foot trap.

_**Yeah?** _

**_You were yelling out loud…I mean in your mind…but you were projecting to me,_** Tony shrugged guiltily as Gibbs felt himself flush for the first time in years.

Tony was still looking at him, **_It’s not a big deal, Boss. I know it was just your version of tough love._** Even as Tony said the words he knew that his emotions were going to belie what he was saying with how he really felt.

This time Gibbs answered out loud if at a whisper, “You don’t ever lie to me, Tony, am I clear? I made a hell’u’va lot of mistakes, but that’s going to change. Now, we need to concentrate on the task at hand so we can get back and take care of the other stuff.”

Tony smiled back and nodded in affirmation. It was almost an apology and that made him feel even more pleased. They stopped as Colonel Sheppard held his hand up in a fist. Then he indicated directions for each team. Tony flipped his radio on the right frequency as he split from Gibbs. He didn’t like it, but if the radios were stopped from working then their bond would allow the teams to talk. He could feel Gibbs own hesitation.

Martinez took the lead and the rest of Tony's fell behind to cover him as he scouted out the area and led them closer to their objective. They had just reached a side of the castle wall when Martinez glanced around the corner. His hand rose to show the amount of guards at the side door. They had been lucky enough to see it the first time they had visited Melantha and between all the diplomatic visits a rudimentary outline of the castle and its ground had been mapped out.

Jon and Conner took the lead and the guards were dead within seconds. This was the one point that Elizabeth had fought, but they had managed to convince her that leaving someone alive was too risky with the threat of them raising an alarm. Tony and Martinez switched clothes with the dead soldiers rapidly before continuing.

“Stay and guard till we’re back,” Dylan Martinez ordered firmly. Both his subs gave him a cursory glare, but they obeyed without argument. Tony was really beginning to wonder how he’d missed their involvement. They slunk through the castle. Dylan occasionally taking out a guard and stashing him in storage rooms and anywhere else they could find.

They hid from the people that appeared to be slaves. No one wanted to compromise the innocent or lead to their deaths. Tony gritted his teeth at the anger that fell over him at not realizing the Sulish were the ones probably running the slave market. The connection caused him to freeze as something clicked in his head.

The memory of the Corsica market the day that Alex had collared him and the sequential viewing of the slave trade and seller flashed through his head. The person had been covered head to toe, but had worn gloves. The same red gloves he’d seen Melantha wearing when she’d come to see Hardy. He had no doubt now that bitch took Alex. A cool fury settled over him and his mind cleared completely. Now there was nothing but determination in him. He wondered at the change inside of him briefly before realizing that this must be how Gibbs felt when on assignment.

The knowledge kept him even calmer and he started to immerse himself in that part of the bond. He felt a trilling of realization sear through the bond and he knew Gibbs picked up on it too. He heard Gibbs’ chuckle at the back of his head and he almost jumped as he felt the sensation of a head slap and then another smack to his ass.

Tony quickly fell back into that calm space he’d just discovered at the silent and mental admonishment from his Dominant.

Finally they slid down a pair of stairs and found themselves in the dimly lit corridor that had to lead to the dungeons. Tony was surprised by how easily Dylan and he took care of the guards and finally veered a corner to find some of their people.

He breathed a sigh of relief that all of them looked able to travel. When his eyes fell on Alex, Tony felt himself finally completely center.

“Tony,” Alex rasped out, obviously parched. His former Dom's eyes washed over him and Tony saw the minute Alex realized his collar was gone. He smiled, though, and his eyes told Tony he understood. Tony let out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding.

“Hold on, I’m getting you all out of here,” Tony finally responded and they made quick work of the locks.

Getting out seemed easier than getting in and everyone made it out the gate and into the forest safely. Tony had no idea how they had managed such a flawless rescue, but he knew that Gibbs wasn’t going to be far behind. He could feel the innate pleased feeling in his Dom and that he was approaching. It wasn’t long before Gibbs and Shephard appeared and Tony sighed in relief.

“We need to go now. I’m pretty sure they realized someone had hacked into their computers and an alarm will probably be raised as soon as they notice it happened from inside their own mainframe,” Tim said as they swiftly made way to the gate.

Shepherd made them stop briefly to load the people that were finding it hard to move fast or quiet through the forest onto the jumpers. The gate was already open and whoever had been the gate guard had already called in their IDC. The teams went in first as they were the most conspicuous and finally when they had all evacuated the floor the jumpers came through.

Tony felt like collapsing in relief as the medics rushed around everyone and whisked a good majority off to the infirmary. Elizabeth was rushing forward and when she reached Tony, Gibbs, John, and their respective teams along with Alex she just looked them over as if making sure everyone was okay.

When satisfied she ordered the leaders into her office for a report, but Gibbs cut Tony off with a hand.

“Go with your former Dom to the infirmary,” Gibbs said quietly but with conviction. Tony felt the good intentions of Gibbs’ actions float through the bond and he nodded gratefully before turning to rush after Alex who was being bullied by Carson to stop being a jackass and sit down so he could check him over.

“Tony,” Alex quietly murmured when Carson finished up his vitals before moving to another patient.

Tony shuffled forward, nervous and anxious to know what Alex was feeling.

“Your boss? Bonded right?” Alex asked seriously and Tony blushed and nodded. Alex gave a heartfelt sigh before raising his hand to brush through Tony’s hair comfortingly. The touch soothed Tony, but made his stomach clench as it wasn’t Gibbs touching him. Alex pulled away almost immediately.

“I suppose that was the last time I’ll get to touch you without permission, forgive me for the rudeness, Tony. Know that I enjoyed our time more than any other time I have ever lived and will cherish it always,” Alex quietly told him.

Tony felt tears prick at his eyes and then he as hugging Alex tightly. It wasn’t fair. He was so happy, but the man who’d been there for him since arriving on Atlantis was hurting. Alex carefully pried Tony off of him after a moment with a stern, but understanding look.

“Go to your Dom Tony. It’s where you belong,” Alex ordered softly as Tony choked back a sob before turning to flee. He ran straight to Gibbs who had just exited Dr. Weir’s office. He caught Tony when his sub came barreling into him going ninety to nothing.

“Shush now, Tony. It’s done with and everything’s going to be okay,” Gibbs reassured the boy before leading him away and back to the quarters. The place they were going to call home till the SGC made them return to Earth.

 _Home._ It made Gibbs and Tony both feel a wave of contentment before their bond burst open and made them think nothing besides hot desire.


	5. Epilogue

Tony leaned over the balcony as the night sky twinkled over head with a clear view of all the stars above the planet. He sighed and leaned back as Gibbs came up behind him. Tony savored the sting of Gibb's flannel shirt rubbing against the marks. The lashes crossed on his back in an intricate pattern that he’d found beautiful as he twisted and turned in front of their bathroom mirror only an hour earlier.

Time was running out and Tony didn’t want to even face the idea that Gibbs might want to take him back to Earth in the morning. Atlantis, his cohabitants, his team, his friends, and this big science fiction ship had become his home. Still, Gibbs was his mate in every sense of the word and Tony couldn’t, wouldn’t even if he could, deny his Dom whatever he wanted.

“What is it, Tony?” Gibbs voice asked huskily as his hands came to caress across Tony’s chest and tweak the hardened nubs that had been clamped hours before and were still sensitive. Tony bit back a yelp, but the pain was welcomed as was everything else Gibbs did to him.

“Are we going back to Earth?” Tony asked after barely a moment’s hesitation. He felt Gibbs hands freeze and then he was being turned around. Gibbs stared into his eyes for a moment before Tony felt their bond burst into action.

They had grasped a much better control on it since the three weeks after bonding, but Gibbs could still break through Tony’s barriers with barely a push. Tony had a feeling it was because Gibbs had and would always be the one person he trusted enough to show his entire soul too, especially now that he knew they truly were soul-mates. The link was doing wonders for his self-esteem and Tim had jokingly told him that he’d have to watch his ego for real now and not just as one of his many masks.

The camaraderie between Tim and himself was something old, but now it was tinged with the understanding and respect of both of them truly knowing the inner strengths of one other. It was yet another thing that had done wonders for Tony’s acceptance of who he was inside.

He ducked his head as Gibbs smiled tenderly. He was still struggling to comprehend this placating and sweet side of his lover.

“Tony, I put in for a transfer as soon as we returned from Corsica and started locating all of our people that had been purchased and taken to other planets. I know that the rest of the team didn’t plan on leaving till we found everyone,” Gibbs paused as Tony absorbed the information before continuing.

“As far as I am concerned we are not leaving this galaxy unless we’re ordered by General O’Neill or Dr. Weir…Elizabeth…to return to Earth. Is it going to be an issue with Alex here?”

Tony shook his head minutely. “Alex and I both knew what would happen if one of us bonded. I know he’s hurting, but he understands. If I left because of him it would only hurt him more because this is family.”

Gibbs nodded understandingly before immersing himself into Tony’s psyche. Tony basked in the feelings of ownership and love that his normally stout Dom was loath to show to anyone but him. The privilege was something Tony would treasure as a prized possession for the rest of their lives. He allowed his own end of the bond to completely immerse into his partner. The feelings of home and acceptance rushed through Gibbs at a rapid speed and he couldn’t help but draw his sub to him.

“This is it, Tony. Your home is here and now so is mine. Just don’t ever forget that you have a family back on Earth too that is leaving in only a few hours. Vance is going to be mighty surprised to have a new lead agent with McGee,” Gibbs grinned at that last part. They’d both put a lot of effort into the elf lord and seeing him find his footing and completely come into his own was something they were both immensely proud of.

Tony had a feeling that Gibbs hadn’t realized any more than he had that Tim was ready to take over as a lead. Gibbs thought Tim was the most surprised at the realization that he could do it.

Tony smirked, “Aw, our probie…I should say our former probie has it in him. There’s not going to be any problem there. Vance will pick up on it immediately. He’s not such an ass as we all thought in the beginning.”

They were silent for a moment as the past floated through both their minds and the minute Tony’s thoughts turned to his tenure as Agent Afloat and the isolation and loneliness that followed, Gibbs tightened his arms around his boy. Tony soothed the fury that was still lodged deep in Gibbs with a sweet kiss.

Tony grinned after a moment, “Tim’s come into his own. Did you hear him ordering about those marines yesterday when they made a mistake disarming that mock bomb and Ziva said something? It was priceless. The training coordinator, Cadman was rolling on the floor after one of the men told Ziva to let the trained professionals do their job. Tim was in his face so fast and spouting out how imbeciles like him shouldn’t be allowed on Earth, never less Atlantis and if he wanted to keep his balls intact then he’d better speak to Ziva politely and respect her superior knowledge about bomb defusing and everything else in life.”

They both chuckled at the scene of the bomb blowing up as Tim did his impression of a drill sergeant. The offending marine had been covered with the powder the bomb had been filled with to mark its detonation.

Gibbs grinned back wryly, “They’ll do fine. Still can’t believe Tim and Ziva are together though. They’re going to have to keep that quiet or Vance will split them up.”

Tony snorted, “Fat chance of that. Tim’s gotten so territorial over her it’s been almost amusing. I think Ziva goes from being bemused to irritated at least twenty times a day.”

Gibbs nodded his agreement and chuckled wryly, “He might not even if he knew considering he’s briefed on life out here and will pick up on the subtleness of their dynamic.”

Tony hummed his agreement as he snuggled up into Gibbs.

“I’d say it’s time for bed,” Gibbs murmured after a moment. Tony looked back up and smiled in agreement.

“I think it’s also time I drilled you into your mattress again,” Gibbs remarked monotonously as they made their way off the balcony.

\---

The gate swirling into action made Tony feel a wave of sadness that was tinged with a wave of pride at the team departing. He recognized Gibbs’ own emotions in there at his proud feelings for the people about to leave Atlantis.

“Take care of the team, Tim. It’s your job to guard the family now,” Gibbs gruffly told the new team leader.

Tim nodded before swinging an arm around Ziva. He moved them both to Tony where he received permission to pull his former teammate into a bear hug. Tony found himself returning it with equal enthusiasm.

“Take care of each other,” Tony whispered as they pulled apart so Ziva could give her own hug.

“I will, Tony, I swear to it,” Tim answered as they all turned to watch Abby hugging all her new friends, with Ducky following behind shaking hands and chatting. Abby was stopped for a moment by Rodney.

Rodney had a sour look on his face as he spoke, “Sure you don’t want a job?”

Abby laughed, “You’d hate my enthusiasm in a day…plus, I have a date next week with a guy who might actually be okay.”

“We’ll see about that after the background check,” Tim muttered.

“Attaboy,” Gibbs and Tony both remarked while all three ignored Abby’s indignant yelp before she moved in front of Alex.

“We haven’t really met, but thank you for taking care of my bro over there. I’m sure he was a hand full,” she giggled.

Alex grinned back, “Maybe when you visit we could get to know each other a little more,” he gave Abby a smoky look which to Tony’s surprise she blushed brightly.

“Sure,” she mumbled and stuck out her hand. Alex smiled and grasped her hand and brought it to his lips to kiss gently.

It wasn’t a second later that she was yanked against him and their mouths colliding with a smacking sound. Tony’s mouth dropped as Alex started to devour her mouth while his hands reached down to cup her ass tightly. He shared an astonished look with his mate until Alex pulled back to thrust Abby behind him and glare at Gibbs, Shephard, and all the other Doms.

Tony burst out laughing as happiness really flooded him as he knew what happened.

“They’ve bonded,” Rodney said matter of factly with a huge grin as Alex picked Abby up and threw her over his shoulder caveman style.

Still laughing Rodney called out, “We’ll talk about your contract tomorrow!”

The only answer was the sound of footsteps running off to private quarters and Tony’s own laughter that was soon joined by the rest of his family. He felt Gibbs’ arms wrap around him.

“It’s perfect,” Tony said giddily.

Gibbs nodded, “That it is, my boy.”

Then he leaned down and hoisted Tony up too and Tony kept laughing the entire way to their own home quarters.

 


End file.
